Power Surge
by Eulalie
Summary: REPOST "Kiss me once again, the last, long kiss, until I draw your soul within my lips and drink down all your love." Sequal to "Black Out"
1. Preface

**Title: **Illumination Trilogy: Power Surge**  
Disclaimer: **That whore Meyer owns these books. No profit in writing this. **  
Warnings: **profanity, violence, lemons, AU, slight OOC, POST NM  
**Pairing: **book pairings**  
Rating: **M for mature**  
Summary: **Bella having left, Edward tries to come to terms with why she would have abandoned him; was it because he was too overbearing, too much of a dead weight? Barking upon an adventure to find his lost love, Edward consequently takes on a self-exploration and finally comes to terms that despite his label, its his soul that truly counts in the end.

_Preface_

"You die, O thrice desired,  
And my desire has flown like a dream,  
Gone with you is the girdle of my beauty,  
But I myself must live who am a goddess  
And may not follow you.  
Kiss me once again, the last, long kiss,  
Until I draw your soul within my lips  
And drink down all your love."  
The mountains all were calling and the oak tree answering,  
Oh, woe, woe for Adonis. He is dead.  
And Echo cried in answer, Oh, woe, woe for Adonis.  
And all the Loves wept for him, and all the Muses too.  
_-Aphrodite's words to Adonis after his death_

I was no virgin to humanity; I felt the delicious sting of pain and remorse, the building pleasure of desire. Yet, I was awed by the immensity of a normal human emotion - hatred. No one could ever love a monster such as I - a selfish, masochistic cretin. I had escaped hell and hid in heaven; I was the wolf disguised among the lambs, at stalking Lucifer among angels. My lies have become such a pivotal part of my life that I forgot myself, forgot exactly what hellish creature I am.

I remember that now. I remember this as her blood pools under my nails, through my lips. I identified all of this as wrong, but I couldn't stop. The impulse to taste her was too strong - it reverberated throughout my system, maddening me, destroying my control. I needed her. I needed her so much that my need was going to kill her.

For these split seconds, I could barely care.


	2. Lying with False Smiles

**A/N: Woot Woot! Chapter one is posted. Review. :)**

_**Lying with False Smiles**_

"_But you really didn't listen to me because I'm telling you the truth,  
I mean this; I'm okay  
Trust me."  
-_**My Chemical Romance**

For a longtime, I lay on the floor, thinking maybe from all this fighting I was slipping into insanity, because for some reason, I couldn't fathom _her_ leaving me.

Maybe it was because I always thought of her incapable of the bloody act, or maybe it is because I can't even think of being without her ever again.

The smell of her lingered on me, and I hated it. The one smell I used to plead for I wanted to rid myself of. I couldn't walk inside that room again. I strolled down the hall and to the room Carlisle and Esme shared.

The familiar smell of my 'father' and 'mother' relaxed me, like a big warm hug. I slipped into their room, finding it empty, and then to their shared bathroom. It sparkled like it was recently cleaned. I closed the door behind me, before striping down.

I had to rid myself of _her_. Had to rid myself of her smell. I turned the water up as high as possible, and walked under the shower, closing the glass door behind me.

The clean face cloth I had brought with me turned slightly heavier as it got wet. I grabbed some of the liquid soap that was supposedly honey scented and started scrubbing adamantly, until my skin flushed faintly, almost undetectable to most eyes but my own. I started working on my hair, scrubbing hard with my fingers, the shampoo dripping down the side of my face. Alice had once told me that I shouldn't scrub so hard with my hair, in fear that I'd pull some out (**A/N: hair stops growing when you're a vampire**). But I didn't care.

I had to get rid of that scent.

I had to get rid of anything that reminded me of her.

When I walked out of the bathroom, I grabbed a pair of Carlisle's pants, and a shirt. I dressed quickly, not bothering to brush out my hair. With hesitant fingers, I grabbed the garments I once wore, and threw them in the toilet before rushing back to the room. I searched around, looking for what I knew had to be here.

Matches.

I grabbed them, treasuring them like gold. I lit the match and threw it in the toilet with my clothes.

Then I realized.

Her ring.

The flames burst forth from the toilet, and I acted quickly and irrationally. I grabbed my flamed jeans and dug in the pockets, looking for the ring. All the while, the flames had spread to the borrowed shirt, burning it off my chest, leaving only a tingle of warmth. I finally retrieved the ring, and I pocketed it in Carlisle's pants before dropping my jeans back into the toilet.

"What's going on?" someone demanded. I whirled around to look at my mother and father, who looked as battle worn as I. "I thought you'd be with Bella…" Esme whispered.

"Don't say her name," I hissed, pushing past them. Carlisle grabbed me by the wrist.

"Son, what's going on?"

I shook my head, my face falling apart, my composure falling apart. I couldn't choke out the words in fear of sobbing. I swallowed venom, trying to work up the self-control to speak, but only shook my head once more.

I couldn't speak.

Esme grabbed me into a hug, her face cold against my chest. "Edward, please…speak to me…"

"She left," I whispered, my voice cracking. "Gone."

She pulled away and stared at me in the face, her black eyes searching mine. "Oh Edward…" she sighed, pulling me into a warm motherly hug. I rested my head atop her, my arms tightly wound around her. Carlisle was standing rigidly, his face unreadable.

_She left? _He asked. _Do you know where?_

"With the Volturi, I believe," I choked out.

Just then, the door burst open and two extremely happy faces bounced inside. "They left!" Emmett boomed. "The wolves finally realized that they're throwing themselves out to the slaughter and retreated!"

"Edward?" Rosalie asked confused, her face falling when she realized what was going on. Esme pulled away, her face almost a mirror of mine. I fell onto the floor, my head resting in the crook between my knees.

"She's gone!" Alice cried, running into the room. My head shot up, and I glared at her with knowing eyes. She winced, Jasper's arm around her waist, holding her tight.

"I'm sorry," Jasper said solemnly, contrasting deeply from his normally impassive voice. "We tried to stop her but…she said that you let her to go."

"Which was the biggest mistake of my life," I mumbled so low that maybe even they didn't hear me.

_What an idiot_, Emmett thought, looking up at the ceiling. _He really needs to grow a backbone when it comes to Bella._

I couldn't help it. I smiled slightly. Emmett, the largest man I've ever seen with muscles that even I sometimes admired, mind you, is always getting bossed around by the skinny, blonde, model looking woman on his arm, and is telling _me _that_ I _need to grow a backbone?

I chuckled under my breath, glad for the comic relief. "God," Rosalie groaned. "Someone slap him; he's going insane."

"I'm fine," I said more to myself. I stood up quickly. "I'll be fine."

"Edward," Alice tried, her face pleading, "you don't have to pretend that…"

"I'm fine," I insisted, walking towards the door. I paused, my hand on the door frame. "I'm fine."

Liar.


	3. A Virgin to Humanity

**A/N: Chapter two, posted. Wooooooot!**

_**A Virgin to Humanity**_

"_Note to self: I miss you terribly.  
This is what we call a tragedy.   
Come back to me; come back to me, to me."  
_**-From First to Last**

The taste of loneliness was something I was no virgin to, and something I happened to be addicted too. I drank the emotion like vintage wine, wanting more, and more, until I choked and gagged on it in pain, leaving me with batted breath and broken emotions.

So I'd lie to myself.

Isabella's coming back. She's right besides me.

And my eyes would open.

And my heart would break. It was almost felt as if something inside of me shattered into sharp shards and with every movement, every breath, they dug in. I couldn't move without wincing, couldn't breathe without hurting.

I curled up on the bed, the sheets over my head, blocking out the bright sunlight; blocking out the world. I wasn't ready to come out yet.

Isabella's gone.

The one thing that was worth everything to me was stripped away. And I was empty.

I half expected her to come running, holding me, kissing me, telling me that she was simply joking.

But it never happened.

Days past like hours, and I'm not sure that I moved. Thirst crept upon me slowly. I was amazed that I could still feel anything from the numb state that I had fallen into.

I wondered briefly what would've happened if I stayed away from her like I had tried from the beginning.

And couldn't.

It seemed Bella replaced every wrong thought, every sad memory…She changed me in ways I can't even comprehend.

Isabella's gone.

Isabella's gone.

Isabella's gone.

As much as the two words swirled in my head, they sounded wrong…sounded incomplete.

Or maybe it was me. Me who is incomplete.

_Power Surge X Power Surge X Power Surge_

"Edward?" Someone called. I was lying on my side, my face jammed into the pillow I allowed myself to keep from…_my _old room. It stunk of Isabella's beautiful fragrance, reminding me of what was long lost. A masochistic desire I allowed myself to commit.

I jumped from the sudden noise and opened my eyes. Two angry dark topaz eyes stared back at me, surrounded by long blonde hair.

"Go away Rosalie," I murmured.

She sat down besides me and stroked my head, a gesture that I never would have thought Rose was capable of. "Edward," she sighed. "I'm sorry I'm so…cross…"

"Go away," I repeated.

"You look terrible…Edward, please. Come with me hunting…I promise you you'll feel a lot better…"

"I'm not going and murdering a poor defenseless animal because I feel like shit. Now go away Rosalie."

She sighed once more, her hand like a whisper of silk against my skin. I once again, was amazed I could feel anything.

"Edward," she whispered, her voice sad. My eyes flickered back open and she gazed at me with tentative eyes. "You have to hunt something. Your skin is pasty, your eyes darker than I've ever seen. You've camped out in your room, hidden under this blanket for _four_ weeks, and haven't moved, except once or twice. As much as I understand how you feel, Edward, you must understand, the world still moves while you're pinning away. We've been fighting on and off, making sure no one has crept in here to assassinate you…"

I sat up, and ran a hand through my messy hair.

"And besides, Ed," she continued, her hand cupping a cheek, "if I were you I would be sitting in my room for two weeks straight writing out an elaborate plan to nab her back, not…_sleeping_."

I winced. "Rosalie…I have no idea where she's gone and believe me, I'm the worst tracker in the world."

She grabbed a hand and pulled me out of the bed. I thanked God that I still wore Carlisle's pants. She hissed. "You really must hunt."

The sunlight hit my skin and an eerie glow was cast. My skin was a pale that I've never experienced, almost like the Volturi but at an earlier stage. I wondered why the side effects of hunting humans for a years and not hunting for a month were similar before looking at my sister.

Her eyes were dark, compassionate, her long blonde hair flowing down her pale skin. Her brow was quivering over her eye in sympathy, her lips pressed together. "Edward? Come on," she whispered, her hand suddenly wound around mine. "Let's go hunt."

I ran out of the room behind her, her hand locked around mine, her leading the way. Her mind was whirling silently. As much as she tried to put up a cynical mask, she looked at the world with as much beauty as she possessed. One of the things that Rosalie aspired to become was an artist. Her knack for art was a gift that seemed impossible to achieve. Back at home, in Forks, her room is filled with oil canvases, portraits of our family, and paintings of dawns, where the colour was so precise, so exact, it was almost a photograph.

She stopped, her face upturned to the sky. It was dark for a change, the clouds opening. "Rain," she whispered, sniffing the air. "And werewolf."

I frowned.

"But we're safe," she assured, her topaz eyes bright. "I promise."

She led me deeper into the forest, her dark eyes searching the forest. I smelled briefly the scent of other vampires, their perfumes like wild flowers. Every now and then I'd see a flash of color…a flash of pale skin…hear a growl…

Then I smelt it…wild deer. They were passing through the edge of the forest, wondering what the commotion was about. My mind…the monster I tried to contain locked in the back of my mind was oozing through the bars of containment I spent 90 some-odd years building. Rosalie took an offensive stance, a small growl sounding out of her lips.

The pack of deer stopped; the male turning to follow the sound. And they shot off, like one large entity.

Rosalie shot off as well; I loped behind, knowing they wouldn't get far. Rose was pretty savage when she hunted, but also as supportive as Alice. She took down the pack and shared the spoils; probably from her older sister instinct in her past life.

I finally found my sister, crouched over the dead pack. She had let the younger go, only taking the life of the older deer. Five of them lay on the spongy grass, large gashes in the side of the animals' necks. Rosalie was tearing off the skin off the sixth, her face smothered in blood.

I crouched, feeling the anticipation for a meal, and pounced. The dead mammal was sufficient – already half done for me – but I couldn't do it. My teeth grazed the oozing gash, and the taste of vile blood touched my lips.

And I couldn't do it.

The smell was enchanting to my hungry soul, and I could feel a battle welling underneath my skin.

And I couldn't do it.

A flash of Isabella passed through my mind, her expression scared. Her large brown eyes wide, her lips parted in fear.

I jumped away from the animal as if electric currents resided underneath its hide. Rose glanced up, her face bloodied. _Edward? What's wrong?_

Horror inched down my spine as well as cold rain. I backed away from the woman I once thought of as a sister, a woman I was now deathly afraid of.

"What's wrong with me?" I questioned aloud. Rosalie advanced, wiping her face on her shirt sleeve. I stumbled back a step.

And I ran. I ran out of the forest as fast as I possible could, going past the speed I normally used. I ran through the front door to the castle, ran up the large steps, ran through the door that led to Carlisle's room, and straight into my father.

"Edward?"

The man whom I looked up to since the day I was…reborn steadied me.

"What's wrong my son?"

My mother ran to my side, a flash of pale white and mahogany. "Oh Edward," she whispered, her arms weaving around me.

I heaved an unnecessary breath, my chest bouncing up and down from the effort. "I don't know…I have no idea…"

Esme was sobbing from sympathy and fear on my back, her breath ragged against my skin.

"Esme," Carlisle whispered, peeling the woman off my back. She fell into her husbands arms, her face upturned to his. He kissed the bridge of her nose, and a stab of jealousy hit the pit of my stomach.

I felt sick.

Something lurched and I experienced a feeling I haven't experienced in years; an urge to vomit.

"Please excuse us," Carlisle continued to his wife. I gagged by the doorway in silence. Esme's eyes shot over to me, shocked.

"Esme," Carlisle tried again. The small woman in his arms paused, before kissing his cheek.

I gagged once more, something wet falling down my cheeks.

There was a whisper of wind and the door closed behind my mother. "Edward?"

A cold hand touched my back and I flinched away, the hot fluid dancing down my chest. I was…crying?

The gagging continued, and I felt myself grow dizzy. I ran to the bathroom and bowed my head over the toilet and vomited.

There wasn't much in the toilet; just venom, which was a clear. The warm liquid slipped down my cheeks into the toilet as well, just as clear as the venom. I threw up the little bit that was still in my system, some blood tinting the clear venom the softest shade of pink. The world grew dizzy, and I pulled away from the toilet, leaning my head against the cool tile.

My eyes closed, the upside down world closing off. I could feel Carlisle before me, his hand cool against my forehead, checking my temperature. He hissed, a clear sign of dissatisfaction, and brushed away the hot wetness from my face. My eyes shot open.

"Edward," my father began, his voice soft, "how do you feel?"

"Empty…," I replied lamely. "Disgusted…sick…jealous…," my stomach did the unfair lurch and my back straightened. "Dizzy…"

His topaz eyes hardened. "I believe you are suffering from multiple things, my son."

I inhaled sharply, my rigid pose hardening like his eyes. My stomach jumped into my throat and I turned, throwing up the little bit of blood I had left over from a month ago, and endless amounts of venom. I wiped mouth of the back of my hand, my head falling limp against the tiled wall. "What's wrong with me?" I asked, my voice a high whisper of pain. "What the hell did _she _do to me?"

Carlisle mopped my face again, his lips in a hard line.

_She broke you, Edward._

I tuned out his mind, not wanting to hear his drawn out explanation.

She broke me. It was as simple as that. Isabella Swan crawled inside me and destroyed the one last thing I had that kept my sanity. She broke me.

"You're suffering from heart ache, Edward," Carlisle explained, his eyes studying mine. "And extreme hunger. For some reason, every emotion you feel is magnified, and I believe it is a side effect from over exerting yourself this morning…"

The words fell out of my mouth. "I can't hunt."

An eye brow rose. "An effect from heart ache."

I inhaled sharply again, a roll of thunder clapping underneath my skin. The last time I felt like this, I was in this castle, begging for death.

My father must have seen what I was thinking, for I am always an open book to him, because his pose turned rigid. "Edward, don't you dare think of throwing yourself to the wolves, because I will stop you. Right now, you require something to drink."

"I can't hunt."

He frowned. "Which means I'll have to resort to something I thought I would never do…" his face frowned and he sighed, his lips pressed together. "I'll be back…stay here."

"I'm not sure I can move," I replied, my eyes closing.

A breath of air hit me in the face as my mentor disappeared. Seconds passed and another breath hit me. "My poor baby," Esme cooed, her sweet breath inches from my face. She embraced me, her cold skin like rain against my chest. "How do you feel?" she asked.

"Like hell on fire," I retorted, my body stiff from minutes of sitting in the same position.

She frowned, her face motherly in every aspect. "Can you move?"

"I…haven't tried."

Her brows dipped into a V, her eyes thoughtful. "I'm going to help you stand," she thought aloud, her mind repeating the same words in a ghostly echo, "and help you dress. You might feel better on a bed and in clean clothes than on the floor."

I smiled, but it was cracked.

"If you ever have the urge to get sick, tell me immediately," she demanded. I nodded, and she brought her arms under my armpits, and pulled me up as if I was a toddler. "Rest your weight on me," she pleaded, looping an arm around my middle chest and pulling one of mine around her shoulders. I rested my weight on my mother, and she pulled me into her room. She positioned me on the bed and went to work finding a pair of Carlisle's sweatpants, a white shirt, and a pair of clean underwear.

"I promise not to look," she assured me, and started undoing my pants, her eyes closed. She pulled them down, and grabbed the boxers. Feeling like a complete child, I pulled them from her. When the material was secured around my waist, her eyes shot open, filled with worry. "Are you alright?" she fretted.

I nodded, and she helped me pull the white shirt over my head and the pants up my legs. She pulled me to the top of her neat bed and sat down besides me, mopping my messy curls with her fingers, shaping them to her liking.

_Better?_ Esme questioned, her voice even more melodic in her head.

I nodded shortly, my eyes resting on her. "You don't have to stay…"

She shook her head, a kind smile stretching on her full lips. "But I do. You're my son, and I would worry myself to death if I weren't in the room right now."

She kissed my forehead, and I smiled a genuine smile. My eyes fluttered close, and the pit of my stomach seemed to settle. The false tears had stopped moments ago, and the jealously had stopped as well. My mother settled besides me, her hand sweeping over my brow, teasing my curls with small, cautious fingers. She hummed the first few lines of her favorite song, the one I wrote for her years ago, her voice the very music that soothed my limbs.

And I fell into a daze-like state. My mind was empty of all thought, my body relaxed. Esme's soft hand caressed my face as her humming came to the climax of the song, her soft notes growing louder before falling back down from the forte to piano.

My sense of time must be off, because moments like this seemed only minutes, when truly, I was lying besides my mother for an hour and a half (so Esme thought).

The door opened, and as did my eyes. Carlisle walked through the door, a flask of something sweet smelling in his hands. Esme's eyes slowly turned partially black, a colour I hardly ever saw in my mother's wide, doe like eyes.

I sat up in the bed and tugged at the white shirt. "I hope you don't mind…"

_Not at all_, Carlisle cut in, a short lived smile on his lips. _How do you feel?_

I motioned to the female vampire at my side. "A lot better."

Carlisle sat down on my left side and handed me the flask. "Hopefully this will make you feel even better."

I took the liquid container with a slight frown, inhaling the alluring perfume of blood. It was strong, the smell fresh. And it was completely human.

I glanced up at Carlisle and he shook his head.

"Apparently Marcus has connections with the Volterra blood bank. No one was harmed."

Esme looked at her husband, speaking with her expression. Carlisle just replied with a half hopeless half optimistic smile. She gave an answering smile.

I kept out of their minds when Esme and Carlisle were together, giving them privacy, but I wished I would go against my moral one day and figure out their secret little code that they seemed to understand.

Carlisle gave a flourish to the flask I was now holding and I realized I spaced out thinking. "I…"

He raised an eyebrow in waiting.

And I heaved a sigh. I flipped the top open and brought it to my lips, almost tasting what was behind the retched perfume.

"I…"

"Please," Esme asked, her face anxious.

And I drowned it.

Some of the liquid dribbled down the corners of my lips and pooled under my neck. The taste was horrible and somehow the best thing I've tasted in so many years. The monster sprung at me with so much force, I almost shook. I tilted the flask higher, taking in as much as I could as fast as I could, gulping down the human blood at a ravenous pace. It filled me with energy that seemed to glow from me like sunlight. The sickness I once had evaporated like rain drops in harsh heat, leaving me with the same empty feeling I had before.

The flask was emptied, but I was hungry. I wanted more. My licked my lips, wiped my chin with my fingers and licked them clean, hunger springing on me fast and hard.

Esme's face was masked, her eyes narrowed.

"How do you feel?" she asked caringly.

"Thirsty," I replied.

Carlisle smiled shortly and motioned to the couple by Esme's side. Pixy like Alice kissed my forehead, her face grim. Emmett smiled and saluted. "Nice to see you again, Emo-Boy."

I growled at him under my breath, as did Alice. "Be nice," Esme chirped like an aggravated bird.

_We're taking you hunting, _Alice supplied, reading the confused look on my face.

I nodded and stood up in one fluid moment, my cells super-charged, yet begging for more of the sticky substance I had devoured only seconds before hand.

"Be safe," Carlisle warned.

Alice grinned and tapped her temple. "We'll be fine."

"But still," Esme retorted, her face soft. She kissed my forehead, then Alice's, and then, standing on the corner of the bed, Emmett's too. He gave a booming chuckle and ruffled her hair.

"You're getting shorter, mother."

She grumbled something about 'too tall for your own good', before shuffling to the bathroom.

Alice fit her small hand in mine and started running at a graceful lope. I followed after her, Emmett close behind.

_So…_Emmett thought, _How do you feel?_

"Fine," I replied aloud.

_Whatcha been doin' for tha last four weeks?_

"Thinking."

"On how to build a space shuttle? You've been thinking for a pretty long time now…"

"Emmett, let it go," Alice demanded, her voice light.

We settled into a stroll, her hand still tight around mine.

Emmett frowned. "I think I deserve to know, seeing as my brother's been in a Bella," I winced so hard Alice looked at me shocked, "induced coma."

The words flowed out of my mouth so fast I hardly had time to realize what I said. "Just shut up Emmett. You don't know even a _fraction_ of what I feel, so keep your _damn_ mouth _shut_."

Alice inhaled sharply, her mind a tiny voice. _Jasper was right._

I searched her mind, but she had blocked me out once more, leaving me to wonder what the hell was going on with me.


	4. Masochistic Impulsive Disorder

**A/N: I finally read Eclipse. YAHHH! It was pretty good, and I'm considering writing a continuation of it after I finish this story. God. I have a lot of ideas for fanfiction. Screw masochistic impulsive disorder. How about HtMoaId (has to much of an imagination disorder)?  
A/N2: Edward is getting ooc. Yes. I know this. I might just explain it in later chapters, but for now, just think of how Bella felt during New Moon. It might help you out. :)**

_**Masochistic Impulsive Disorder**_

"_I guess my thinking too much is what's been fuckin' me up  
it's my own worst enemy, but  
it will never own me...  
Who am I kidding anyway?"  
_**-32 Leaves**

My mind is a dangerous place. Inside my mind are thoughts and musings that control that darkness that are now my emotions.

Inside my mind are my memories.

Which are just as - if not more - terrible.

So I had to find a way to shut these thoughts out, to block everything out. So I dug out my old iPod.

The minute I turned the twenty sum-odd gigabyte music player on, her name flashed on the screen.

'Bella's Playlist'.

In an impulse, I played the list.

My impulses are worse than my memories. My impulses had made me keep her ring, made me keep her perfume soaked pillow on my bed, and now I was going to reminisce about her.

I am a terrible man.

The first song to play was the song I was hoping not to; our song…Clair de Lune.

It played loud and strong for my awaiting ears to hear and something tore apart in my chest.

And I felt empty.

The one song that brought me to elation and pure happiness now broke everything inside me with just one stroke of a key.

I skipped it. Nothing worse can come on, I assured myself.

And I was wrong.

Blink-182's 'I'm Lost without You' sang out its melancholic notes.

That's enough.

I stopped the play-list and clicked shuffle off the main menu.

'I Miss you' by Incubus played.

I gave up and threw the horrid creation across the room, waiting for it to shatter, but alas, I was not alone. My family seemed to want to keep me from another "Isabella induced coma" by keeping me in constant watch; today is Rose's turn. Rosalie caught the player in a one handed catch, and gazed at the screen.

"You are truly masochistic," she sighed, turning it off.

I growled under my breath. "You're treading into dangerous waters."

She shrugged nonchalantly and went back to painting the twilight hanging outside.

"Something you said," I began, my voice wobbly, "has me thinking thoughts that shouldn't be thought."

She looked at me with mock scandalized eyes. "Edward Cullen, I am your _sister_!"

"Don't flatter yourself," I retorted gruffly. She sniffed, turning to her painting, a smile on her lips.

"Then, what are you thinking that shouldn't be thought?"

I traced the floor with my foot. "Maybe I should track her."

She dropped the paint brush and it fell to the floor with a clatter. Her eyes widened and she stared at me with confusion. "What?"

"Maybe I should track her."

Her eyes searched mine for a moment. "Carlisle and Esme would never allow you to."

I shrugged. "I'm one-hundred n' five; I believe I can make my own decisions."

"I could never allow you to," she corrected. "It's too dangerous to be out alone…"

"I won't be alone," I assured her. "I'll be with Demetri."

"Of all people!" she cried, grabbing her paint brush. "Have you gone completely mad?"

"Not yet," I sighed. "But if I keep moping around trying to forget about her I will eventually."

She fell to the floor with a graceful plop and gazed at the ceiling with a look of 'God help me' written all over her face in an invisible sharpie.

"She took something of mine, and I want it back, Rose," I continued, swallowing heavily.

"And what is that? Your common sense? Are you completely out of your mind?" she asked, rising to her full height.

I stood as well, my face menacing. "What if it was Emmett?" I question, my voice booming. "Would you run after him? Your love for him isn't even the smallest possible fraction of what I feel for Isabella. She's all I have and ever want, and I made a promise…"

"How could you even think that you love Bella more than I love my husband?" she screeched. "Just because our relationship style doesn't revolve around constant danger and naivety doesn't mean you can say that your love is far more superior to mine!"

"NAIVETY!" I hollered, laughing sarcastically. "How can you say you love anyone else when you're constantly involved in your own well being?!"

"The pot calling the kettle black!" she cried in defense. "For a month and a week we've been fighting day in and day out for you and your petty little girlfriend while you're crying in a damn corner. Get over it! She doesn't fuckin' want you anymore!"

I inhaled sharply, my eyes dulling, my body releasing its tense pose.

She seemed to have figured out what she did, because she touched my shoulder. "Edward I…I didn't mean it…"

"Go away Rosalie," I demanded. "And take all of your shit with you."

"Edward," she pleaded. "Please…forgive me…I didn't mean it…"

"If you didn't mean it you wouldn't have said it, now leave."

"Edward…"

"LEAVE!" I demanded, my voice foreign.

"Please," she begged, as stubborn as I. "Just listen to me…"

I wrapped my arms around her slender frame and squeezed her to my chest as tight as possible. She was stiff in my embrace, her breath stopped completely. "I'm going insane," I whispered. "This is why I can't stay, Rosalie…I don't know what the hell is wrong with me…"

Rose finally relaxed in my arms, and embraced me back, hiding her face my shoulder. "I'm not letting you go by yourself."

"Rosalie…"

"I'll go with you, Edward," she whispered. "I love you, older brother…and God help me if you die trying to reach Bella."

I winced at the sound of her name. "And Emmett?"

"Can handle himself."

"And I can't?"

"Not at all; you're already two strikes out of the sanity game…" She pulled away with a final squeeze. Her eyes were serious. "Edward, I care so much about you, and that's why I'm so protective. You must understand what I said was…uncouth…and I only said it to try and stop you from leaving…"

"I already forgave you Rosy," I sighed. "And what I said was also rude and probably one of the top things I regret."

She kissed my cheek, her breath cold. "I thought you would argue."

"About?"

"Going with you." She stood up and stretched her long limbs, flashing a small smile. "No matter what you say Mr. Cullen, I'm going."

"You're stubborn," I replied with a shrug.

"So are you!" she accused.

I heaved a long sigh. "We're leaving tonight."

She shrugged. "Okay…"

"_Tonight_," I replied with more emphasis. "So go on and start your goodbye."

"I can't say goodbye," she whispered, shaking her head. "Not at all."

"So you're just going to leave." It was a statement, not a question. "Pack some stuff for us. I have to call in a favor."

She nodded and ran out of the room, me not far behind.

_Power Surge X Power Surge X Power Surge_

"I can't believe I'm going to help your pathetic little cause, Edward Cullen," Demetri groaned, his voice as arrogant as any other egotistical asshole would have. "Not only am I helping Edward freaking Cullen, but I'm helping to make his life _happy!_"

Rosalie growled and pushed him. "Shut up or get shut up. Take your choose; I have plenty of time."

"Oooh," he sang in mock fear. "Feisty."

I growled this time and shoved him. "Take your pick, Demetri."

"You should be a lot nicer to the man that, out of the kindness in his undead heart, is helping your sorry ass."

"Genius obviously isn't your strong quality," she mumbled. Her hand, swift like lightening and as random as thunder, flicked out and smacked him a shot in the back of the head. He stumbled back against a tree.

"What was that for?!" he cried, his eyes darkening.

"Because you're pissing me off!" she replied. "Now do what you're supposed to do or I'll dispose of you like yesterday's daily newspaper!"

I smiled at the creativity of my sister's threats and trudged on. "Fine, fine," Demetri sighed. "I give up being the jester and will try the part of the loyal slave, just as look as you promise to spank me, Lady Rosalie, when I'm really bad…OWWWW!"

I turned and saw he had a hand over his eye, Rosalie was walking on, looking disgusted, her right hand curled into a fist. "Explain to me why we need this…this…_fool_?"

"Because the arrogant asshole is the best tracker I have ever known," I said with disgust so the idiot wouldn't think I was praising his ridiculous ass. "And also because he owes me a favor."

_See if I ever ask for a favor again_, the vampire muttered. _And I hope you're listening, Edward Cullen, because I hate you with every fiber of my being._

I shrugged. "Lead the way, _Me-Me._"

The disgruntled vampire ran ahead of us as a lightning pace, his mind now turning serious. Rosalie and I followed quickly behind, the wind howling and the rain falling in quick, angry droplets.

And all I had on my mind was the face of the angel I was willing to run all over the world for.


	5. The Boy Who Cried WolfGrounds

**A/N: The bolded words should explain Edward's...condition quite well. I already three more chapters written -woot- and I promise Edward will find Bella reaaaaallly soon. :) But does he want to? DUM DUM DUM DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!  
A/N2: Here are some loose ends to tie up. I didn't exactly...explain stuff well...Bella went off with Marcus, Amelia, Andrew, Heidi, Jane, and Alec, and a character you will meet later on. Demetri isn't going to track Bella. Dur. He's tracking the others that should be trackable but are not. :) Sorry for the mixup. :) **

_**The Boy Who Cried Wolf-Grounds**_

"_Take back everything you said.  
You never meant a word of it. You never did."  
_**-The Academy is…**

I thought against turning around and running back to the castle and learn how to cope, learn how to grow up. Forever? Ha. That's a lie. There is no forever. There is no eternity. How can you be so stupid to think that something could last for the rest of your life? Naivety.

I suppose I am still the naïve 17 year old I was 99 years beforehand; **no one could ever love a monster besides another monster.** Has no one noticed that all of the fairy tales have the 'monster' enchanted and love has always set it free, giving the beautiful maiden a handsome prince to spend all of her days with? Is there a fairy tale where the monster remains a monster? Would Belle still stay with the Beast if he didn't change into the handsome prince?

I believe not.

But then again, why should I resort to stories of fairy tales to decide my future?

Pathetic.

I have sunk so low that the ground is now above me.

So, to keep myself away from those nasty little thoughts, I tried to visualize the woman I was running around the world for.

Isabella Marie.

**The fascination, the love I have for her, scares me to death**, no pun intended. How could I feel so strongly for someone, want to be with someone so much that just the thought of being away from her for long periods of time sends me into a panic, and actually being away from her drives me insane?!

**I am addicted to her**, almost like she was my exact brand of heroin.

And that is _almost_ an understatement.

**It was as if she had resurrected the human in me and the emotions were increased by millions Affection was infatuation. Lust was love. Love was complete and utter obsession and addiction. And heartbreak. Heartbreak was the deepest, darkest depression.**

I wonder if my feelings are returned at the same magnitude. And sadly, my thoughts turned dark.

**She didn't love me.**

For some reason, even though she had spoken the words thousands of times, I couldn't be sure that she was truthful.

But maybe it's because my loss of Bella has finally drove me insane and I second guessing everything I once thought I knew.

My mind was filled with images of Bella; her heart shaped face; her soft, supple, ruby lips; her beautiful brown eyes; her pale complexion; her long legs, and small waist; her round womanly hips, and the curve of her back; her soft stomach and tiny breasts; the long brown hair that flowed to her middle back; her warm blush…

I fantasized just simply embracing her, wanting to feel her petite body against the length of mine, wanting to feel her skin against mine once more.

I wondered if my search was in vain. If I got to her, then what? Would she embrace me with open arms or shun me away? Would she run away from me, disappear from the face of the earth?

These **fears** I hid in the back of my mind, not wanting to take away the last bit of sanity I owned fretting on how my appearance would be received.

Her engagement ring seemed to burn a hole in my pocket, almost as if it was angry from being ripped from its owner. I wish I had let her keep it, just so I wouldn't have the occupation of holding the retched piece of metal. It symbolized a broken promise.

It symbolized the ripped picture of a gazebo surrounded by vibrant leaves under the stars. It symbolized a torn white gown and a burned tux.

A sharp growl pulled me out of my thoughts, and I looked up. I had fallen behind even though I was the fastest runner out of the two. Rosalie skidded to a stop, her face colder than usual. All her thoughts were on the love she left behind and regretting that she never said goodbye, for if she would die it would rip Emmett apart.

Demetri punched a tree, sending it spiraling into another.

"What's going on?" I demanded. Rosalie rested the duffle bag at her feet, her eyes rolling up to the moon.

"Shit!" he roared. "Those…asses…!"

"What's wrong?" she asked, leaning casually against a tree, her eyes scanning the darkness for unknown predators.

"They…they're mixing signals!"

"What?" Rosalie asked. "I know you can't track Bella, but Alec would seem easy!"

He rolled his eyes. "It would seem easy if they would keep the bread crumbs on the ground long enough time for me to pick up the track!"

"Stupidity!" I shouted, running a hand through my hair. "Simply stupidity!"

"Edward?" Rosalie asked, her eyes piercing through mine. She was growing accustomed to my random outbursts.

"She's immune to our powers, so wouldn't it be pretty obvious that one of her gifts would be to grant that special talent to others?"

Demetri started smacking his head off of the nearest tree in frustration. "I _always_ find who I want," he growled.

Rosalie let out sigh. "I guess that's it then…"

Before I could respond, Demetri was in her face, his eyes menacing. "I _will _find them. I am the best tracker alive!"

"Oh shut up," Rose scoffed.

"I've gone this far, and if I have to rely on scent and sense than I will!" he replied. Rosalie gave him a shove away from her and I fell to the wet ground in thought.

"Where would she go?" I asked aloud, leaning back so I could see the stars through the canopy of leaves.

"Rule out every where sunny," Rose said, sitting besides me. "She's in the company of vampires and they fear being seen."

"They have to be near humans; it's their nourishment," Demetri sighed, leaning against a tree. "And if they're that afraid of being found, they wouldn't go anywhere where someone would know them. Wouldn't use a credit card, or a phone, or buy property, in fear that it'd get traced."

"Alaska is ruled out for obvious reasons," Rose said. "The Denali clan would surely recognize them."

"La Push," I said quickly. "She's knows I won't step on wolf grounds."

Rosalie smiled. "She thought wrong."

_Power Surge X Power Surge X Power Surge_

Rosalie rested her head on my lap, her long hair a mess. I stroked it in an attempt to sooth her. She and Emmett fought over the payphone before we boarded the plane. Apparently, he didn't like how much danger she put herself in without talking to him.

"You shouldn't have come with me, Rosalie."

"So?" she replied, an angry air about her. "Too late now, right?"

Demetri was fiddling with black hair. "You always have me, babe," he murmured.

"Aren't I lucky," she groaned, burying her face in my shoulder. I patted her back in empathy.

"It's alright," I comforted, kissing the top of her head. "You'll be fine."

"I'm least worried about myself," she sighed, leaning towards the plane window.

"You shouldn't worry about me," I sighed, closing my eyes and leaning back in the seat. "I'm perfectly fine."

She snorted but dropped the subject.

"You two are so adorable when you disagree," Demetri sang.

"I hate you," Rosalie growled.

"I love you too, darling," he replied airily.

"Do you have a mental problem where you must say the most retarded things?"

"No," he paused. "It's all you baby. You make me so intimidated that I say stupid things."

Rosalie groaned and I chuckled. "I'm married!" she hissed. "And my husband is more appealing in every aspect versus you."

"Shame you didn't meet me before you tied the knot," he murmured. As usual, he was thinking inappropriate images of my sister. A low protective growl flew out of my lips.

_Must we keep this clown? He's no longer useful…_

"He's useful enough," I muttered.

She snorted again and started listening to her iPod.

A flight attendant sashayed towards us. The private jet, sadly, wasn't ours; it was Demetri's. He made sure there was always a flight attendant on the plane for his own personal enjoyment. Some of those attendants never got to speak of that flight ever again.

"Could I offer you anything, Master Demetrious?" she asked. My eyes opened and I eyed the blonde woman. She was tall, shapely; sort of what Rosalie looked like when she was human.

"Mmm," the pervert hummed pulling her onto his lap and slipping his hand under her skirt. She was too dazzled to pull away, her head rolling up onto his shoulder.

"Demetri," I hissed, "let the poor girl be, or at least have some decency and go into the bathroom!"

He winked and tugged the blonde flight attendant away, vanishing into the bathroom. Another flight attendant danced in. "Could I offer you two anything?"

"No thank you," I replied pleasantly. The woman blushed and scuttled away, finally leaving the plane into an almost silence. The sounds from the bathroom were getting slightly annoying, as well as the buzz of thoughts in the plane. Rosalie's iPod was thrumming by my side; she was listening to a soft song, the melancholic tune striking through me like a dagger to the heart.

_Oh why cant I be what you need  
a new improved version of me  
but I'm nothing so good  
no I'm nothing  
just bones, a lonely ghost burning down songs  
of violence of love and of sorrow  
I beg for just one more tomorrow  
where you hold me down fold me in  
deep deep deep in the heart of your sins  
I break in two over you  
I break in two  
And each piece of me dies  
And only you can give the breath of life  
But you don't see me, you don't..._

Rosalie's hand grabbed the iPod and she skipped the song.

"Rose," I called. Her eyes flickered open and she raised an eyebrow. "Can you put that song back on?"

She shrugged and handed me the headphones before rummaging in the duffle bag. She pulled out my iPod and my cell phone, which was blinking red.

"Hey Ed," she said handing me the phone, "you have a message." She put in my ear buds and started rocking out to 32 Leaves on high, so she could give me some privacy.

I gazed at my flip phone, before opening it. An unfamiliar number was stretched across the large screen. I held down one, and it brought up my voicemail.

"You have one new voicemail," the female voice said on the line. "First message recorded at 3:39 am on Friday."

Silence.

"Hello," an unfamiliar male voice said on the other line. "My name and stature is not of the conversation, however, so I will not name them. This call is purely about our similar interest, Isabella Swan. By trying to follow her, you are simply reopening old wounds and wasting time. She has moved on and has finally started to focus on her occupation. I fear that by trying to find her, you'll hurt her more than you'll do any good and break the fragile relationship that we had founded. Isabella no longer requires you, and no longer wants you. For the sake of your emotions and hers, I ask that you turn around. Thank you."

"End of message. Press one to replay. Press two to save. Press three to erase. Press four to hear all of these options all over again..."

The phone fell out of my hands and onto my lap. An anger so fierce clawed up my stomach. She has found another? That quickly?

I grabbed my phone so hard, it cracked and threw it over the seats. The hot moisture raced down my cheeks, and my stomach felt sick. My head felt dizzy and I clutched the seat in pain. I jumped up quickly and kicked the bathroom door down. Demetri was entwined with the naked blonde flight attendant, a bloody gash on her neck. My stomach recoiled and I spit up on myself. Demetri didn't even look up; he was too busy with his meal.

I fell to the floor, rolling into previous vomit. My hair was matted to my forehead with the throw up, my breaths shallow. My legs curled up against my stomach as I tried to hold all of me together. I briefly heard Rosalie calling my name, but I wasn't listening. My body trembled, and I opened my mouth in a silent scream. Two pairs of hands picked me up and one slapped me firmly across the face.

"That's not going to help!" Rosalie cried, pulling me into the bathroom. Demetri grabbed the blonde woman and carried her out of the bathroom. I leaned over the toilet and coughed up some more venom and a few drops of blood.

Rosalie sat besides me, stroking my hair and humming.

"Gorgeous, listen to this," Demetri said, bouncing into the bathroom.

The voice replayed and the twist of the knife in the back was hard and sharp. I threw up once more and groaned.

"_Oh Edward_," she cooed, brushing away my hair. She started humming softly, the first lines of a song I composed for her second wedding. Demetri was sitting on my other side, his head against the wall. We sat like that for a long time, no one speaking, before Rosalie pulled Demetri out of the room. "I'm going to get you something to change into," she said, waving a hand at my sloppy appearance. Milk like stains were all over my pants and shirt. I grimaced and moved to where Demetri used to sit and leaned my head against the cool wall.

Already my stomach was subsiding, but my muscles felt weak from losing so much blood, my prime source of energy.

Rosalie reappeared with the duffle bag. She wet a napkin and wiped my face as if I was a child. She then brought out a pair of jeans and a shirt. I started unbuttoning my white shirt and she helped me pull the replacement over my head. Before I could unbutton my jeans, she had them undone. "Wait," I croaked, pulling out her engagement ring. She placed it on her right handed middle finger so she wouldn't lose it and then started pulling off my sneakers.

When I was redressed she rested my head on her lap and stroked my hair. "You'll be alright, I promise. We'll find Bella and she'll be waiting for you with open arms."

I snorted, but relaxed, listened to her soft humming until I drifted into an emotionless numb.

And it felt good.


	6. She Loves Me She Loves Me Not

**A/N: Edward gets a weee bit pissed in this chapter, lol. I'm not sure why I wrote that up...I just sort of wanted to show a little more on how imperfect he is even though he still is to meeeeeee. lol. i think i just wanted to give edward some human qualities, instead of making him the sex god everyone seems to like to write about in their M fannfics. hopefully, i didn't disappoint. lol. i started a story set after eclipse, though it's only 84 words currently. soon i'll have a chapter up. damn. i still have a few more stories I want to post, but I PROMISE that the illumination tril will be finished. I SWEAR on the HOLY BIBLE that it will. Luvin,  
Tricia  
Oh! ps. The language sort of...escalated and there are some swears. LOL. Edward cusses like a sailor. lol.**

_**She Loves Me…She Loves Me Not**_

"_Someone please help me out  
I never meant to take this so far  
Now I've fallen way too hard…"  
_**-Valencia**

Rosalie and I sat in the bathroom for the whole ride until the living flight attendant forced us to go to a seat because we were landing in Port Angels.

Demetri was sitting in his seat, playing solitaire on my phone, without my permission, might I add. His eyes were bright red, and he didn't seem to mind that only hours ago, he had killed a woman. It didn't pass my mind that that was what he wanted in the beginning; I was hoping all he wanted was a whine and a moan.

Obviously, I was mistaken.

Rose sat besides me, her face upturned to the ceiling as she buckled us in. "Why must we go through such stupid procedures?"

"To make the humans happy," Demetri replied with a silly grin.

I didn't answer, only rested my forehead against the seat affront of me.

"Shut up, _Demetrious,_" she mocked.

"Alright, Rosa-Line," he replied. "I hear the bathroom was cleaned if you wanna go. The human seemed to like it…"

I didn't know what happened until I stared at Demetri in the eyes, my hand firmly around his neck. "Shut up, Demetrious," I growled, "or I'll rip out your vocal chords."

He wasn't fazed. "Look. Just because your girl left you don't mean I have to walk on pins and fucking needles around you. You wanted my damn help, so now you have to deal with my damn mouth."

My hand firmly connected to his face with a deafening crack. Two pale hands started pulling me away from the infuriating vampire, but I was snarling in anger. How dare he talk of humans as if they were nothing but…disposable play toys?!

Demetri didn't make a move to attack me, or to stop me as I pounded him in the face a few times before Rosalie pulled me to the other side of the plane.

"What's wrong with you?!" I asked, my voice high from the excitement of the fight. "Too damn afraid to fight me?!"

"Edward," Rosalie hissed. "Not here, please!"

"Like I care," Demetri sighed, watching as his bones reconstructed and winced. "I'm not stupid enough to fight you Edward Cullen, because I fight to kill, not to show who has the bigger balls."

"Come on!" I cried, struggling against Rosalie's arms. "Hit me you useless son of a bitch!"

He shrugged and unbuckled his seat belt. "The attendant is getting worried. I must try and comfort her."

"What? To kill her too?!"

He shrugged again. "No. I actually have compassion, ya know. It's a basic human quality…"

"You're not human, you piece of living shit!"

He looked at me thoughtfully before chuckling. "The next chance you get, study your face in the mirror and then tell me who's human. Better yet, tell me why your fiancée left your crazy ass."

"She left because she loves me!" I howled. "She loves me!"

"What an oxymoron," he sighed, shaking his head.

"Shut up Demetri!" Rosalie screamed.

"If she loved you, she's fucking insane. Maybe she gained some sense and…"

"SHE LEFT ME BECAUSE SHE FUCKING LOVES ME YOU DUMB SON OF A BITCH!" I screamed, launching myself out of Rosalie's arms.

We crashed into the other side of the plane and it wobbled slightly. My fists moved without thinking, hitting where ever his body was; his face, his chest, he legs, his arms. It didn't matter as long as I landed the shot. Demetri didn't fight back, only lying underneath me and taking the blows. Rosalie tried to pull us apart in vain; my strength far surpasses hers and she knows that clearly.

I started ripping the motherfucker apart, but he finally pushed me away. I fell weakly against Rosalie's arms, my breath coming in quick short gasps.

Demetri looked like he was two seconds to death; his pale skin was bruised from my punches, his face misshapen from the protruding bones from underneath.

"You're an ass, Edward Cullen," he spat, touching a tender spot on his cheek. He winced and leaned back, letting the bones heal in a matter of minutes.

Rosalie was holding me tightly. I turned and realized in my fury, my fists had landed on her beautiful face, giving her bruises around both eyes and chin.

"Rosy," I whispered, my fingers moving up to trace the healing wounds. She flinched away from me, her face quiet. Demetri walked out of our part of the plane, going to comfort the attendant.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, putting my head in my hands. Rosalie didn't reply, but instead moved away from me, following Demetri. They talked in hushed voices.

"The flight will be landing soon. As a precaution, please buckle up. Thank you!"

I rolled my eyes, my head smacking against the plush seat.

_Power Surge X Power Surge X Power Surge _

When I awoke, I didn't want to. I'm not sure if I had fallen asleep – something that scared me slightly - or blacked out from the emotion strain. I was in my room, the comfy bed smelling faintly of Bella's beautiful perfume. "Edward?"

I looked up and saw Rosalie. Her face was still slightly purple from the bruises I had inflicted only hours ago. She ran a hand through my hair, but I shrugged away from her.

"Will you please get over yourself?"

I got up quickly; slightly dizzy from everything I tried to forget. I hung my head and looked away from her, not wanting to meet her bright topaz eyes. "I'm a monster, Rosalie."

She shrugged. "So?"

"You don't get it, do you?!" I cried. I made wild gestures to her face. "Look at what I did to you!"

She snorted. "As if I won't heal completely in a few minutes."

"That's not the point!" I hissed. I shook my head back and forth. "I can't control myself around my own sister…how can I around Bella?"

"Ed, don't even sta-,"

"I don't deserve her at all; this was an entire waste."

I walked towards the door, slowly, as if making sure the ground wouldn't swallow me and drag me down to hell.

"Where are you going?" she demanded.

"Back to Volterra…to fight…maybe do some good in the world."

"AFTER ALL THIS?!" she squeaked.

I nodded and shrugged. "I might as well go back, I suppose. All I do is cause hurt to everyone I love including you. Maybe it's best I just…disappear."

"I've gone this far, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, and I am NOT going back."

I shook my head, a dizzy spell overcoming me. "No; you don't understand…"

"I understand perfectly," she said sourly. "You're a pussy."

I stared at her dumbstruck. "Excuse me?"

"Pussy."

"How elementary," I sighed. "Using insults to try and get me to find Bella."

"Look at yourself," she whispered. "Look at what you've become. You're fucking insane, Edward. Now think of what the toll has on Bella. She loves you just as much." I opened my mouth to speak but she growled. "Shut your mouth and listen." I nodded, closing my mouth and rolling my eyes. "She loves you just as much as you love her. The hurt on her must be the same if not worse! You both are stupid and blind; you need each other! You're out of balance; out of whack without each other!"

I shook my head again. "How could she ever want me?"

"Because, before you went insane, you were a pretty…nice guy," Rosalie sighed.

"Awww," Demetri squealed. "If only she'd admit I'm a nice guy." He walked into the room, and rested his arm around Rosalie's shoulder. For once, she didn't shrug it off.

So…" Demetri began. "We'll go soon?"

"Well…" Rosalie started. "Edward doesn't need us any longer. Its quiet here; no mysterious deaths since Charlie and Renee's."

"And I no longer need to track, I suppose," Demetri sighed before patting my back. "My baby's going out on his own. Don't forget the lessons I taught you."

"I'm going back to Volterra," I corrected, peeling his hand off my back. He frowned. "Going to help the rest of my family. Sorry to waste your time, Demetri," I rested my eyes on Rosalie's, "Rose…"

Demetri rolled his eyes. "Look, if she was crazy enough to get involved when she was simply human, she'll be crazy to reject you. And besides, I think these breakdowns are Bella involved. Maybe if you find her, you'll get your balls back."

Rosalie snorted. "Beautifully put, Me-Me," she sighed, sarcasm dripping from her voice like venom.

Demetri snickered and rested an arm around Rosalie's shoulders again. "And we'll double team you if you say no again."

"What happened while I was blacked out?" I asked suspiciously.

"We became bessssst friends, right sweetheart?" he asked, kissing her hair. Rosalie pulled away with a growl.

"Don't force it, Demetrious."

"Are you leaving to find Juliet, Romeo, or not?" Demetri asked.

Rosalie planted a hand on her hip, an impatient stare melting out of her.

"She found someone else," I hissed. "She no longer wants me!"

Rosalie slapped my face and glared. "She still wants you! Why else did she run away from the Volturi?!"

"What?" I asked dumbstruck.

Rosalie smiled slightly. "Alice called while you were taking a nap, Ed. She saw Bella running away a while ago, but couldn't get in contact with us."

A spark of hope jumped in my throat. "By herself?"

"Mmmhmmm," she replied. Demetri's arms wrapped around her waist and he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"So that's what you've been keeping from me dear," he said, slightly mystified. "I should be angry you kept something that vital from me, but I'll forgive you for now, beautiful."

She groaned. "Get a grip."

"Only on your ass, babe," he sang, running a hand down her curves. She slapped him and moved away, an angry look in her eyes.

"Look, Edward, are you going or not?"

There was hope…vain hope, but hope. I nodded, sighing and shaking my head at Demetri. "You never learn."

He chuckled. "Neither do you."

Rosalie looked down at her hand before walking up to me. "Here," she whispered, putting the ring in my palm. "Give this back to her." She curled my fingers into a fist, and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "We'll still be here if you need us."

Demetri smiled kindly, almost as if I didn't try and kill him a while ago. "Yah; what she said."


	7. I Hate that it Hurts so Much

**A/N: Isabella gone beserk is this chapter! it's all about what Bella's been up to. Keep in mind this is like...only two weeks or so after she left originally. I know it must suck to try and backtrack to Black Out. But hey. IT'S MY DAMN STORY. lol.  
A/N2: There's some swears, suicidal thoughts, and thoughts of murder. If ya don't like that, don't read, and DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE ME A NASTY REVIEW FOR IT. it's rated M, dammit!  
A/N3: I've started a book. A BOOK! (hold the applause) about werewolves. LOL. Idk. I might start posting it on fictionpress...but i forgot the damn username for it. shoot. :( **

_**I Hate that it Hurts so Much**_

_At the end of the world  
Or the last thing I see  
You are  
Never coming home  
Never coming home  
Could I? should I?  
And all the things that you never ever told me  
And all the smiles that are ever gonna haunt me  
Never coming home  
Never coming home  
Could I? Should I?  
And all the wounds that are ever gonna scar me  
For all the ghosts that are never gonna catch me_  
**-My Chemical Romance**

Isabella Swan walked into the mansion with hesitant steps. Her eyes were wide, her lips parted, and her hair a mess of black locks that fell over her shoulders to her middle back. She looked like hell personified, but even in her mess, her radiant beauty shown through.

She looked…different. The warmth in her brown eyes was gone. The happiness that once marked her brow was invisible.

The Cullen Mansion seemed darker than usual. The happy faces of the owners were too far from her grasp, one in particular. Her Edward.

Just the thought of his splendid name sent tremors down her spine. A soft sob slipped past her lips. "Oh God," she whispered, her arms winding around her torso to keep her together.

Dust flew freely in the air, little coats marking the dark house all over. The hybrid loved the fact that it didn't look like the place she once resided in; that would hurt too much.

The impulse to come here was strong. Because of her change, her memories were slightly muddled, and everything seemed quite blurry, only the important memories standing out of the mess. Only important faces…only important places…

Her steps seemed to quicken as she remembered where everything was at a faster pace. Soon she was jogging up the stairs; soon she was running down that hall. And stopped. At the door.

His scent was powerful, and it brought back memories. Memories that were happy…some that were sad…others that were pleasurable, and even some that made her shake with anger.

Bella fell at the door, her sobs consuming her. Gabriel, her guardian, was all she knew, all she could rely on. When he spoke of Edward, when he informed her of the ill fate he had slipped into, everything set into place. She made a deathly mistake.

It seemed like a lucid dream; running away from the Volturi, hiding for days from Gabriel, and slipping unnoticed back into Forks. A small part of her mind wanted to ponder this information, wanted to go over her escape, but every other part was focused on her dead love, her Edward that was now out of her reach.

She reached up, her arm shaking, to the doorknob, and turned it. The door creaked open, too fast and always too slow.

The room awaited her.

A large bed sat in the middle, the leather couch pushed up against the wall, a large window-wall showing her the murky sun slipping down the horizon, surrounded by dark clouds; it would rain soon. She stopped breathing in fear that his scent would drive her off the deep end and crawled into the room. In a movement so fast, that even a vampire would have to take a minute to figure out what happened, she was standing and making her way to the bed. All her memories were like a back hand to the face. She was the reason Edward was dead. She could have protected him, she could have, but she ran like a dog with its tail between its legs because of the fear of the horrifyingly terrific power that had unwillingly been bestowed upon her.

Lying with him on this bed. Slap. Talking to him on this bed. Slap. Loving him on this bed. Slap.

She fell onto it, and buried her face under the pillows, wondering how long it would take before she suffocated herself. Her thoughts became dark as she wondered how she would be able to die. Of course she couldn't suffocate herself. That was a silly thought. But jumping from great heights, drowning in an ocean, setting herself on fire…no. That wouldn't work.

She cursed the power in words that would have shamed her mother and father if they had ever heard her, before releasing the hold on the pillow. She sat up, her face tear soaked and blotchy from sobbing. She was sobbing? She didn't even realize.

The taste of the tainted air fizzled on her tongue. It was his taste. It was so real, so blissfully real, that she thought if she opened her eyes, she would find him affront of her, her lips to his cold face.

And she opened her eyes.

And he wasn't there.

Another memory came to her; she was plunging off of a cliff, his voice in her head. Yes. That was what she wanted to know. If she could do something dangerous, do something unbelievably stupid, she could hear him again. Her mind turned thoughtful. Surely the danger factor has changed because of what she now is. Damn it. There wasn't much she could get into that would be called 'dangerous'.

But there was one way.

Elesmeera.

The poisonous Isabelle would surely deliver her death if they were to meet once more. No…no…The Vampire Queen would only put lies into her head and try and sway Bella onto her side. No…no…

NO.

That was it. That…evil…is the reason why her Edward is dead. The reason why they never reached happily ever after. The reason why she would never see him again, never see her family once more.

The bitch is going straight to hell.

An anger in her eyes flashed like hellfire, elation and surprise and vengeance filling her veins from her conclusion. She stood up on wobbly legs, her fists burning. She would kill Elesmeera. For Heidi. For Amelia. For Andrew. And for Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. Oh yes. For Edward. Her head would be mounted on a wall for everyone to see and pity. She would kill Isabelle the Vampire Queen.

Realization cooled the fire in her soul. Edward wouldn't resort to violence…No…that's not Edward-like at all. She gaped when she realized how much like Elesmeera she had become in that moment.

Pain hit low in her stomach and she doubled over, gasping for air. "Oh God," she cried. "What have I become?"

She reached out to the shirt that was on the floor. It was his. She brought it to her and inhaled deeply, smelling his scent hungrily. It cleansed every cell from its once psychotic fury and left her emotionless.

Yes. This felt better.

Emotionless.

She buttoned the shirt lazily around her small frame and stood up straight, her eyes dulled and pained.

Isabella Swan would have her revenge, yes, and it would also be logical, but for now, she would mourn her dead love in silence, taking as much time as she desired. She dashed downstairs and disappeared into the night, the rain tumbling onto the forest in heavy sheets.

Vengeance would be hers for the ghost of him.


	8. Beautifully Broken

**A/N: Hey. It's me. I can't say what happens in this chapter, because it's wrong to do so, but I'll tell you that the prologue is happening! I couldn't find a correct song for this chapter, so hopefully Maroon 5 will do it some justice.  
A/N2: There's a sex scene. Couldn't resist. Also, there are some things that won't make sense. ASK QUESTIONS! I love to answer, because there are plenty of readers who might have the same question. I'll answer them the best I can without giving spoilers.  
The slave of the pen and the mistress of the paper  
Patricia**

_**Beautifully Broken **_

"_This love has taken its toll on me  
She said Goodbye too many times before  
And her heart is breaking in front of me  
I have no choice cause I won't say goodbye anymore"  
_**-Maroon 5**

When I left the mansion, I didn't know what I was going to do. She was certainly in Washington; her scent was all over the forest. The run to La Push seemed to fill me with butterflies. I feared blinking - an act that even vampires still instinctively do – just because her hauntingly angelic face appeared behind my eyes.

I stopped when I reached the La Push grounds, feeling uncertainty edge up from my stomach. I inhaled and frowned when it smelled barren of werewolf. Of course…Jacob was still in Volterra, the pack still with Elesmeera. I strolled through the streets of La Push, using my nose as help. Some of the bronze skinned teenagers looked at me with confusion, wondering why I was walking on their ground. Of course they didn't understand that I was a vampire, but they understood that I was stranger. The elders that were sitting in their houses watching TV seemed to feel my presence and gaze incredulously out the window. She had been through here; her smell marked everything, but it was an old smell, almost as if she was only here for a few hours days ago.

I kept my stroll casually fast, keeping my eyes on the side walk in front of me. Her scent was ahead of me, almost as if she had walked through the streets at the same pace. I could see it, in my minds eye; a pale, beautiful, young woman, walking the streets in a slow stroll, never looking up to catch the eyes of the men watching her or the jealous women. She followed the street to the end, and gave a short turn onto a more rural part of the reservation. Her pace quickened, and she could smell the scent of werewolf. She jogged down the street and stopped across from a familiar house.

Jacob's.

I gazed at the small house. It was barren of the dog, but I could smell the scent of an old blood; probably just Billy Black. Her scent was washing away now. It was becoming a ghost of what it could be. I walked quickly, smelling it disappear into the forest. It wound around trees and through the brush. It finally ended at my house. I smelled around the mansion, realizing I had just gone in a complete circle. The next trail was slightly fresher, almost as if she was here only a day ago. The scent brought me back into Forks, and twisted around her house. She was once inside there, but left.

And I knew where she went immediately.

I ran through the trees, dodging stray limbs. A cackle of thunder sounded overhead, and a flash of lightening. Energy built up under my granite-like skin with the electrical charges. I finally made it to the sparse tree line, the light brighter up ahead where the meadow was.

The meadow stunk of her smell. It was fresher than every other trail I had tried. This was it.

I skidded to a stop, trying to make as less noise as possible before walking through the trees to the clearing ahead.

I scanned the field, looking for a flash of pale. I walked forward slowly, hesitantly. The sky above cackled, another flash of lightning flashing over my head. The energy under my skin buzzed with excitement.

I finally found what I was looking for. Far, on the other side of the meadow, Bella laid, her face upturned to the sky above. I stopped, printing her perfection to memory with longing in my chest. My feet moved of their own accord, moving closer towards her.

She lay amongst the wild flowers, her hair spread underneath her like a pillow of darkness. I wondered briefly when she dyed it black, but turned my focus back onto the angel before me. Her luscious lips were parted, inhaling shallowly, her magnificent eyes closed. Her arms were underneath her head; a picture of ease, as if there wasn't rain falling from the sky and wetting her. Her pale skin disappeared under a white button-down and jeans, resuming at her feet.

"Bella?" I whispered, her name flowing out of my lips easily.

She sat up, her eyes flashing open. I slipped to the ground, feet away from her. I expected shock, anger, maybe even love or longing, but her face was expressionless, the feeling only in her beautiful toffee and topaz mixed eyes. She was thinking, hard.

I crawled over to her, and ran my knuckles down her cheeks, wanting to feel her, wanting to touch her. She flinched slightly, her large brown eyes widening. "Bella, I love you," I murmured, relief for seeing her in a healthy state rolling through my being.

She didn't answer, just stared as if her voice was gone. She seemed to be asking me something with her eyes, before saying so low that even _I_ had to strain, "hello, Edward. I've been waiting."

Her voice filled me with happiness, an emotion that seemed to obliterate my heart into ashes. It was soft, and melodic, and beautiful. Hauntingly so. And broken, and lonely, and sad, yet happy and relieved at all the same time. And the way she said my name…I replayed it in my head over and over again, printing that to memory as well.

We sat in silence, a content silence on my part. I couldn't find the words to speak, didn't know if I wanted to reply or not. My fingers traced her face over and over again, finding pleasure in such an innocent touch. I half expected for her to disappear, or pull away, but she sat in silence, letting me caress her face with a feather-light touch. The storm raged on, the thunder crashing, the lightning striking.

She finally opened her mouth to speak, but closed it. Something flickered in her gorgeous eyes and she rested her face in my chest. I froze in her embrace as she locked her arms around my chest. "Hello, hello, hello," she whispered repeatedly, but it was wrong. It was like she was saying a million things in the simple word; everything but hello. Her voice was melancholic, as if she was truly saying goodbye to me.

She pulled away and gazed at the sky, water catching in her dark eyelashes. She laughed a low, humorless chuckle. "I guess I've gone insane…" She looked back at me, her eyes flashing. "I'm seeing you…I'm feeling you…I'm hearing you…but you're not here."

"Bella," I whispered, my brows furrowing. "I'm really here…"

She frowned. "_No you're not_. I'm here, by _myself,_ in this damn meadow, _alone_."

Our eyes locked. Hers were pained, brown with the flecks of hazel and topaz that I found myself partial to. "I suppose I should leave," she whispered. "I have to avenge your death. I know that you're not going to be…," she paused, a grim smile lighting her lips, "happy about what I'm doing…but I have to do something with myself…"

"Bella!" I cried, capturing her face between my palms. "I'm here, besides you. I've been searching for you for days, yearning your presence for a month and a half!"

She didn't answer, only looked at the sky. "You're unfair, you know," she said, looking up at the heavens with anger flashing in her eyes. "You at least could have made him unrealistic so it wouldn't hurt later on!"

I couldn't control myself, couldn't stop my impulses. I captured her porcelain lips with mine, molding them against my own. Hers were hesitant as I kissed her passionately, begging entrance with my longing tongue. She became rigid in my embrace and she struggled, trying to pull away from me. I released her and watched as she jumped up and took twenty quick steps away from me.

"You're dead!" she cried, tears mixing with the rain falling down her gorgeous face. "You're dead!"

"What?" I replied, cocking my head to the side. "Who said that?"

"I saw it," Bella hissed, her eyes lighting up. "You're dead. A wolf murdered you in your haunted state! I saw it, Edward, I saw it," she fell to the floor and started sobbing in a weak voice, trembling from head to toe. "You're dead. You've left me…" Her emotions changed once more, and soon she was in my face, anger flaring in her eyes. "How could you die, dammit?!"

I stood silently, not sure how to reply, or if she wanted to reply.

"I left to keep you safe! Why did you! Why did you die? Why did you leave me alone, Edward?!"

Again, I stood silently. She started beating on my chest with curled fists. Her strikes started to hurt as she hit harder. Suddenly, she stopped and fell into my chest, sobbing so hard I feared she would break. "Why…?"

I held her close, kissing the top of her head. "I'm not dead, Bella."

"Yes…yes…" she whispered in defiance.

"I didn't die," I murmured. "I wasn't there."

Everything suddenly fell into place. Why Rosalie decided to awaken me, to open my eyes, to set me on the journey…it was to keep me safe. She was humoring me with this, a plan she cooked up with Alice probably. No wonder her mind was guarded to me.

"Rosalie saved me, Bella. Alice saw it and Rosalie saved me. I'm not dead. I'm here, and I'm holding you…"

She stopped sobbing and looked up into my face, eyes wide and bright with hope. "So I'm not insane…?"

I nodded a smile pasted on my face. She shook her head and backed away.

"So…You tracked me…?"

I nodded again.

"How could you, Edward?!" she cried, her face slightly horrified. Confusion hit me in the face at a high velocity. "I'm dangerous! I can kill you with just a touch, just a touch." She turned back to me. "I've done it before! How can you be so ignorant, so stupid?! I left to keep you alive and then…"

"I'm here because I love you!" I shouted at her, my voice emotionless. A clap of thunder sounded overhead and she jumped slightly, turning her back to me. "What the hell is wrong with you, Bella? What did they do to you?!"

"Nothing," she mumbled, putting her hands to her ears. "You did this to me…you did…"

Pain spread through me like wildfire. How could I have…done this to her? I've been miles away…miles away…

"Every day…every day," she mumbled. Another clap of thunder and she flinched. "Every day was hell…"

"Everything was empty…everything hurt…," I whispered, finally understanding what toll our separation had on her. She was under so much pressure that she fell into a comatose, fell into the insanity and broke. Shattered.

"Just _thinking_ of being without you brought me to suicidal thoughts," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I love you in ways that are incomprehensible, ways that don't make even the _tiniest_ fraction of sense. And it hurts…it always hurts…"

I watched, fearing to breathe. My heart was burning into ashes as I watched the woman I love so insanely speak of her pain. My love hurt her. I hurt her. I broke her. Murdered her soul. Killed her.

The sharpest edge of the pain was the fact I couldn't comfort her. I didn't know how. Didn't know what to do. Should I hold her? Should I assure her of my love? Should I promise to leave and never come back? This was hell.

She flinched with the thunder and the lightning in pain.

"And I deserve it…," she finally said, eyes flashing open. "I did this to myself, so I deserve it."

"No," I mumbled aghast. "No. No. NO!" I ran to her side and pulled her to my chest, kissing her lips wildly, as if to consume the pain she was feeling, as if to retract the poison of my love from her throat. Her warm lips fit perfectly against mine, as if they were made just for this action. Her arms wrapped tightly around my neck, her nails digging into deeply into my back. She parted her lips to me, her hot mouth opening for me, and only me. I kissed her deeply, passionately, wildly, exploring each part with a ravaging hunger. Her tongue fought mine just as crazily, just as enthusiastically.

She moaned; a soft sound that drove me off the peak. My desire for her flesh, for her body, hit its pinnacle. My hands devoured her skin. I briefly recognized the shirt on her frame. It stunk of me, of my unique scent.

My lips moved from hers to the side of her face, traveling down her neck in wet, sloppy kisses. She started biting the arch of my neck and I growled in response. Bella fell backwards onto the spongy grass; her black strands this way and that. I brushed it away from her neck and started nibbling violently on her succulent throat. My bites hardly made marks on her granite skin, and I was thankful. All it did was flush a desirable red.

"Edward," she moaned blissfully. "I need you…" She wrapped her long legs around my waist and bucked her hips into mine, her back arching in the process, bringing her closer to me. I groaned into her long pale neck, and bit it. "Edward," she hissed, "say you love me..." her voice was breathless, her body rolling into mine like an ocean tide, over and over and over, until I was crying out from the sexual build up.

"I do…" I started, crying out her name once more as she rocked her hips onto my arousal. "I love you dammit!"

She rolled me over, grinding her crotch into mine. I gripped her round hips, pulling onto me repeatedly, torturing myself.

Her eyes were lit up with want and desire. It flickered across her face like firelight, and it should've scared me, the desire, but I was on a high; this was too good…to blissful… The fact that we were yelling only moments ago escaped me; all of me turned instinctual; I was hungry and I had to fulfill this deep hunger.

Lightning flashed across the sky and electricity seemed to ebb through each cell, lighting the venom inside me on fire. Or maybe it was the goddess above me…

She pressed her chest to mine, her breathing ragged. She started kissing me quickly, trying to sustain the hunger in her lower belly. I smiled when I realized how it must feel for her…to have this strong a desire…how strange it must feel to suddenly have it, and grinned even wider when I realized how we can now both act upon it without consequence. My personal longing come true.

I latched my mouth back onto her neck, sucking violently. She let out a cry and fell backwards, her legs sliding straight. I followed, running my lips and tongue up and down her throat, biting and kissing and licking and sucking the soft flesh. "Yes, yes, yes, Edward please," she pleaded, arching underneath me. Her hips bucked hard against mine, my erection twitching with want. I started unbuttoning the white shirt and growled when I realized there was another shirt underneath. I ripped off the white button-down and hurled it away from me.

My lips moved down her v-necked tank-top to the hint of bosom that was visible overtop. I gripped the straps and broke them, pulling the top down so I could see her breasts. Her coral nipple perked up with the light touch I gave it. I massaged it, loving the succulent weight of her perfect globes. They overflowed my palms, the small light coloured hairs standing up.

She gripped my hair with tight fingers, and pulled my face to hers. She kissed me profoundly, pressing her breasts against my chest. The feel of them on my skin, even though my shirt was between us, caused me to groan. "Bella," I whispered. "Bella, Bella, Bella." I cupped her breasts and lowered my face to them. I licked the areola, and stoked the other nipple with confident fingers before sucking on the protruding nipple. Bella let out a shriek of pleasure, and pressed my face to her skin. I sucked deeply, teasing with teeth and tongue, before switching to her other.

"Edward," she moaned. "More…" She gripped my shoulders and pushed her way atop me. She ran her fingers down her breasts in a teasing motion and gripped the top of her soaked shirt. She pulled it over her head and leaned back onto the spongy grass. I reached out to touch her, but she only shifted away, a smile on her lips. She gripped the bottom of my shirt.

"Take it off. Now."

I pulled off my own shirt, never leaving eye contact. Her hands danced back down her pale flesh. Her nimble fingers unbuttoned her jeans. I watched, mystified by her sexuality and intrigued at the same time.

A sexy smile lit her lips and I wondered how she could have kept it from me for so long. Her dark brows slipped into a sensual V. "I need you Edward…" she closed her eyes and bit her lip, reaching out for me. I let her pull me back atop her and grinded my chest into hers. I started unbuttoning my jeans and pulling them off with trembling fingers. Her hand shot down and freed my cock from its cottony bonds through the front slit and massaged the head with skilled fingers.

"You…tease…," I spat, sucking on her bottom lip. Her hand never left my throbbing member, her eyes still closed.

"Mm," she hummed, her lips parting. I licked the inside of her lip and she sighed, her breath sweet. I kicked off my jeans and gripped the sides of hers. I grabbed the sides of jeans and her underwear at once and started tugging down, bringing my body down with the movement. I ran my lips down her skin as I pulled off her denim pants. When I finally pulled them off, I threw it with the rest of our clothes. Thunder boomed overhead and then another flash of lightning followed.

I kissed the inside of her small ankle then up her leg before pulling away and milking in her perfection. It was rain kissed and flushed. Her heart was beating strongly underneath her snow-like skin. She started to pull down my boxers, a smile lighting up her face.

When she realized that because I was kneeling between her legs, she couldn't get any father, she hissed, bringing me back to reality. "Your boxers," she reminded me.

I smiled and leaned forward, pushing out my legs. She sighed and shook her head, mumbling about being such a lazy vampire, and started pulling them down, so they reached my ankles. I kicked them off.

She locked her ankles around my waist and bit her lip. I wasn't ready. No way. Resting my weight on one elbow above her, I brought my other hand to her slick heat and started exploring.

"Edward!" she squeaked when she realized what I was about to do to her. I only smiled.

"Now you get tortured," I simply replied, moving my way down her perfect body to the aching hole between her legs. "Like you've tortured me for so long." I parted her lips with one hand and blew a breath of cold air. She shivered and groaned.

I ran my finger around her tight hole and Bella gasped. "Oh," she whispered. "More."

Turned on by the simple word like the switch to the fire in my chest, I started thrusting my forefinger and middle in and out of her tight heat. I lowered my mouth to her clit and flickered my tongue out to taste it. Oh. God. Her taste was magnified by the rain, thousands times more delectable than her scent. I groaned, nipping at the bud, licking it, sucking it. Bella was thrashing above me, moaning from the pleasure. She gripped my hair and pushed my face hard against her delectable sex. Her whimpers became louder, and her thrashing more violent as she escalated to her climax. However, instead of letting the plunge off of the cliff overtake her, she held tightly, the muscles in her liquid desire clenching down hard on my fingers.

She finally came in burning spurts of cum that covered my fingers. I lapped up the liquid she provided, leaving only enough lubrication for my member so slip in easily. I pulled myself to her face, and kissed her deeply. She gripped my back and started rocking her hips against my pained manhood.

Instead of entering her like I should, I rubbed every inch of my body against hers, a hot friction burning like fire between us. She moaned my name, pleading for me to enter her scorching sex, but I didn't, bringing out the torture. My length rubbed her small hole teasingly, stimulating the small bundle of nerves above it.

"Oh God, now Edward," she pleaded. No. This was going to be done right. I waited a month and a half to see her, so now she would wait. I waited. Waited. The thunder crashed overhead and I plunged deep into her depth. Bella's legs tightened around my hips and electricity surged between us.

I started thrusting into her, the electricity pounding through my undead veins. Bella dug her nails into my back and started moving her hips against mine.

"Edward…ahh…oh, love…God…mm…faster," the string of words and sounds flowed through her lips rapidly as I thrust had into her heat. She rolled us over as the lightning flashed and started bouncing up and down on my erection. I gripped her hips and helped her go faster, bucking my hips when she came down to penetrate her deeper each time. Thunder crashed and I rolled her over, my thrusts going harder, faster, deeper.

"Bella!" I screamed, biting down on her neck. She screamed out what sounded like the beginning of my name before rolling us over once more. Our pace slowed because our trembling was becoming too hard to bear. I finally came, my cock falling limp within her, but Bella held on, her resistance to the climax more steadfast than I could ever attempt. She bounced a few more time before coming as well, burying her face in my neck to muffle the sounds of her cry. I ran my fingers down her back, through her wet hair and kissed her neck weakly.

"Oh Edward," she whispered, trying to move over to my side, but the climax she had endured was so powerful that it left us both weak. "Oh God, Edward…" I nipped the side of her neck, bringing her hand to my lips. She stiffened above me as I ran my lips over her palm. A powerful heat raced through me.

She sighed thoughtfully. "We shouldn't have…"

I nipped the tips of her fingers. "Why not?" I demanded slightly cross. "Why shouldn't we be able to share ourselves?"

Bella didn't answer, but instead nipped my chin, shifting so she lay completely flat against me. "Because…" she started and paused, trying to figure out what she was thinking. "Because…you…" she shook her head, and buried it in my neck, sighing lightly. My body became alert with just the innocent puff of air.

"It'll hurt more when I'm ripped away from you," she mumbled finally.

"Not now," I pleaded, "not now. Later."

Her head shot up, and she gazed lazily at me. "Why not?"

I ran my hand down her soft face. "Because you're tired."

"Am not," she denied, stifling a yawn. I grinned foolishly, printing the expression of her face to memory. Just in case.

"Go to sleep," I whispered, tugging her softly back down. "You're tired."

"Make me a promise, then," she muttered.

"Anything," I vowed. "As long as you go to sleep right after."

She nodded into my chest, her head rising slightly to look me in the eyes for signs of false testimony. When she decided I was genuine, she smiled. "Don't you dare leave me in my sleep."

I frowned at the pained look in her eyes. "I promise."

Something she saw on my face made her frown as well. "Is that what you were planning to do?"

My eyes widened in horrified shock. "Not ever, Bella."

She stared suspiciously.

"Believe me, Bella. If I ever leave you, it will be unwillingly."

It didn't exactly satisfy her, but she placed her head back onto my chest and closed her eyes, her one-beat-per-minute heartbeat settling back into its slow pumping.

"I love you," she murmured. "Eternally."

"I love you," I replied, running my hands through her silky black hair. "Forever." A flash of lightning over head brought the violet hue in her hair out drastically. I gazed at it for a long time, unconsciously humming. I wondered why she would dye her hair black. Was it that she was I mourning for my false-death? Was that why she did such a silly thing?

Bella mumbled something in her sleep, shifting on my chest, but somehow knowing not to move too far. She would surely fall onto the ground then. I started shaking, and then realized that it was because she was shivering.

"Stupid," I growled at myself. I almost hit myself for being so selfish and wrapped my arms around her, running my hands up and down to create some type of hot friction to warm her cold body. Only now did I realize how abnormally cold she was.

I started grabbing her clothes and realized they were drenched. My shirt was only partly wet. I put it over her head and quickly put on my pants. I turned to find Bella watching me, an outraged look in her eyes, though her face was calm.

"You're leaving."

"No," I mumbled, shaking my head. "You're freezing. I'm taking you home."

She frowned and stood up, eyes drifting close. "You better be," she muttered, letting me pick her up into my arms. I ran through the deep wood, trying to use friction to warm her skin. The rain started to fall harder and Bella sneezed, a soft chirp like sound that I found adorable. I gazed down and realized she has fallen asleep again.

"Rosalie? Demetri?" I called into the suspiciously silent house.

No answer. On the door to my bedroom, a folded note awaited me. I plucked it from its place and read it quickly. "_For the sake of your privacy, Me-Me and I went out for a 'dinner date'. We'll get back tomorrow. Rosy."_

I wondered how Rosalie would know if I found Bella or not. Maybe she had been spying. I shivered at the thought of Rosalie and Demetri spying on Bella and me in the meadow. That was an…unsettling thought.

I opened the door and placed Bella on the bed, and sighed. I ran to the closet and grabbed a clean shirt and underwear before carefully dressing her. She didn't stir. I placed her under the blankets and started running around, looking for warmer blankets. I found a comforter and placed it on her frame.

She reached out for me, and tugged me onto the bed. "Goodnight," she muttered, snuggling into my chest. I grinned and wrapped my arms around her narrow waist over the blanket. She sighed and mumbled my name.

And God, it felt good.


	9. Endless Selfish Desires

**A/N: Hiya folks. This is such a filler, it's a shame. LoL. There's a bit of what Bella's been up to. I hope she comes off a lot different; i wanted her that way. Do you think if you had enough power to take over a world with nothing more than a thought, you'd still be in your right mind_?_**

_**  
**_

_**Endless Selfish Desires**_

_How can you see into my eyes, like open doors?  
Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb.  
Without a soul, my spirit sleeping somewhere cold  
until you find it there and lead it back home.  
(Wake me up)  
Wake me up inside  
(I can't wake up)  
Wake me up inside  
(Save me)  
Call my name and save me from the dark  
(Wake me up)  
Bid my blood to run  
(I can't wake up)  
Before I come undone  
(Save me)  
Save me from the nothing I've become  
_**-Evanescence**

_Bella._

How I survived without her, I will never fathom.

_Her warmth…her kiss…_

We lay in bed all through the night, kissing and declaring our love, showing our love, sharing ourselves repeatedly until I couldn't last a minute without her touching me. The intensity of her love for me was deep and strong, her kisses just as deep, just as warm.

_Her touch…her eyes…_

The everlasting beauty of her eyes bore deep into my soul with each touch, each stroke of her hand. Bliss. Utter bliss. We didn't need words; we hardly spoke. Just actions. Just the way she looked at me warmed my soul, brought me back to sanity, and brought me back to some type of warmth. Some type of humanity. Her small hands caressed me lovingly, swept across my brow, swept down my body, each touch feather light and heated.

_Her smile…her body…_

Her smiles were bright, were warm like the rest of her, her small dimples showing with each flash of her face, her cheeks blushing with excitement and some sort of embarrassment. Each curve, each slope of her body seemed carved by Angels. There were no fault in it; there were no mistakes. Each part of her was made with gentle care; each part of her just as beautiful as the last. Her perfection was astounding and often left me breathless. Just gazing at the slopes of her breasts, the curves of her legs, the flatness of her stomach, the heart-shaped face that was above it all was enough to give me a heart-attack, had I still had been human.

_Her music…her emotion…_

Her voice was music to my ears. Each moan, each groan, each whimper was apart of the most delicately written symphony to me. Just the sound of my name roll off of her lips brought me to the high she tried desperately to accomplish. The emotion behind it; the simple joy, the simple pleasure of it all made me weak in my knees. The thought that I could make her feel this way, the thought that I could pleasure her completely and entirely by myself brought me to complete happiness.

_Isabella…my Bella…_

I love her. Undoubtedly. Undeniably. And I showed her. I let my love for her ooze out with every kiss, every touch, every glance, every smile, every action, every word, every emotion. I showed her how much I needed her, how much I wanted her, how much she became apart of my very soul. I showed her how much I missed her, how much I wished she would have never left, how much I wanted her to forever stay by my side. I showed her how much struggle, how much pain I went through with out her. I showed her I was hers eternally, forever. No matter if she asked me away, no matter if she found another, no matter if one of us, God forbid, shall leave this world, I would always remain hers.

And she didn't shy away. She didn't run away. She wasn't afraid of this; this made her happy. This made her ecstatic with joy.

Whatever it was worth, it made me content as well.

_Power Surge X Power Surge X Power Surge_

The room was almost completely dark – the only light came from the random lightening strikes. The humidity felt like dead weight on my shoulders, as I watched Bella.

Her face was serene; her parted lips sighing softly with each exhaled breath. Her long fringes of lashes seemed to touch her red-tinged cheeks. Wisps of bed-head black locks covered some of her face, the darkness contrasting with her porcelain skin greatly.

"I love you," she breathed, her arms wrapping tightly around me, pulling me atop her. I grinned, supporting my weight on my arms.

"I love you," I replied, kissing where her chin and neck connected. She blew out a bated breath and ran her skillful fingers through my hair, teasing the curls with her fingers. I continued the trail, running over the red blotches from earlier travel slowly, teasingly.

"You're companions are going to return soon," she reminded me.

I rolled my eyes, not particularly caring whether or not they were coming back or not.

Bella sighed and tilted my face up with a hand; her brown eyes searching mine for something important before she sighed again, a small smile forming over her full lips, her brows rising in worry. "I don't think Rosalie or Demetri will enjoy the sounds coming from this room upon their arrival."

I shrugged, and kissed her bottom lip. "I won't appreciate them busting in on us. Besides, Rosalie has been making such noises from her room when I've been around for numerous years."

She blushed and sighed, her sweet exhale becoming my next inhale. I took in the rest of her body, which was partly covered in the blue sheets, in wonder. How could there be such a perfect being? And how the hell did I end up with her?

The euphoria of seeing Bella again thrummed hard in my chest, thrummed hard in my non-beating heart. The thought that she still wanted me, still wanted to be with me, still loved me, was a maddening concept.

I tried to visualize her pining away for me as I had for her, and couldn't. It caused too much hurt. For some reason, thinking that she was in love with another wasn't as painful as thinking that she hurt because of my love. The words she had spoken earlier didn't escape me at all.

"_I love you in ways that are incomprehensible, ways that don't make even the tiniest fraction of sense. And it hurts…it always hurts…"_

I tried to abandon these thoughts in the back of my mind, but they were persistent.

No. I wasn't going to spoil this…happiness for me, and most importantly, for Bella. I don't know how long she'll be around – I still expect her to disappear – and I don't want to waste it with these masochistic thoughts.

She sighed and held me close, her head in my neck. Her warm breath heated my skin and literally set me on fire. It started at my neck and danced down my chest to my groin. The humidity in the air was the firewood and Bella was the lighted match. I suddenly felt aflame, heavy, and lethargic.

She shifted so she was laying half on my chest and half on the bed, her face still buried in my neck. I ran my fingers through her hair, playing with the ends. With each breath we took, her body rocked slightly against mine; her breasts on my chest…her thigh in my crotch. I inhaled deeply, trying to keep the heat from burning me inside out, but the desire for Bella was strong.

It was strange. Of course I have always desired Bella, yearned for her, wanted her sexually, but this was strange. It was as if I was going to die tomorrow; I wanted to love her, make sure that she knew this, wanted to show her how much I have always wanted her, want to prove myself.

Bella laughed, a low, sexy, seductive laugh before pulling away and moving so her arms were stacked under her chin on my chest, her body fully atop mine. "If you were human, you'd surely have had a heart attack."

"Thank God I'm no longer human, them," I replied, twirling her hair around my middle and index fingers.

She smiled nymphly; a smile only a siren could have. "You want me." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"I want you," I replied easily. "You have no idea how much."

Her eyes widened and she flushed, her cheeks turning fire-truck red, her eyes darting away shyly. They flickered back to mine and she smiled, slowly, seductively, enchantingly, her cheeks flushing and drawing me in even farther. "I love you, Edward," she murmured, kissing my chest. Her skin started to heat strangely, warming my entire being, but it wasn't the warmth I was used to; it was a strange heat; an abnormal heat.

"Bella," I murmured, putting a hand to her burning cheeks, "do you feel alright?"

She nodded, cocking her head into my hand. "Why wouldn't I?"

"You're burning up," I retorted. "Are you sure you feel alright, love?"

She smiled slowly. "I'm part werewolf," she reminded me. "A very small part; supposedly, Artemis, my ancestor, had a kid with a werewolf...something of the sort...  
"My heart hardly beats, yet I run a normal temperature, sometimes even a burning temperature, and sometimes a number around 60. Once I actually hit 52 and another time I hit 118."

I chuckled. "Are you going to stay this forever?"

She shook her head, placing it once more on her stacked arms. "No. It'll take me a while to get used to it, and I'll probably run a normal, human temperature."

Bella and closed her eyes, her warm breath blowing under my chin. I ran my hands up and down her back, taking in the texture of her gorgeous skin.

"A weapon of mass destruction. Not only am I a full-breed," she murmured, "but I am also a full blood at that. Elesmeera only has one thing on me: experience, and a greater understanding of what we are."

She sighed and opened her eyes. "I should share everything that I know, but I'd rather just lay here in silence, unless you wish for me to tell you..."  
"If you want to."

"I guess I should tell you so I don't seem...like a monster later." she paused and sighed. "I'll become overprotective of you for a while, and I don't want to seem overbearing."

I chuckled.

She threw me a nasty glare. "I'm not joking."

"I know, I know," I assured her. "Now I want to hear what you wanted to inform me of."

She paused, and sighed. "Where should I start?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but instead she cut me off. Quite obviously, it was a rhetorical question.

"You remember a month ago, and some days, when we started the battle?"

I nodded, my body turning rigid, iciness running down my spine.

"Well," she paused, and closed her eyes, as if trying to remember, as if thinking hard. "Jane led me and Lillia to the observation tower, there I met Isabelle.

"She was as beautiful as she was psychotic, and she offered me something; she offered me a spot on her right hand. I could tell by the way she regarded me, that she didn't like me at all; I was too opposite to her, and too much alike her, too much alike the woman she once was. She murdered Lillia, making it easier on herself, for if I rejected her wishes, there would've been two of his to fight, and she was so sure of herself, so sure that she could take me out easily, that she let me go.

"Andrew had changed me," she paused, scanning my face for traces of anger. My composure was surely with me; my face hard and emotionless as I listened to her story. She smiled slightly and continued. "And somewhere in between that change, I must have touched Amelia," she paused and I watched as her hair turned brown, starting at the roots to the tips. "When I awoke, I found out that I could levitate objects, and change my appearance, among others. But here is one special gift that no one owns, or at least at my type of strength." She gave a dramatic pause, before continuing, her voice softer, more vulnerable. "I can copy other's gifts.

"Well, that's what I thought. There was one specific memory I had of you," Bella looked down, slightly embarrassed. "That vampires have no soul bit, and I think that's what I believed for a while." She paused and I stared at her confused. "I had accidentally 'copied' Alice's gift. The realization of how powerful I had become, the realization of how potentially dangerous I had become had not escaped me," she turned to me, her face solemn. "Only seconds later, after Alice left, did I see you in pain, crying out my name. I left the room, running to the Volturi. I wanted to learn how to control myself and I wouldn't put the ones I love in danger by asking for their guidance." She inhaled deeply, her bottom lip wobbling. "But you tried to stop me..." She gnawed on her bottom lip in thought, her sinfully breathtaking face deep in concentration. She stood up and paced in silence, her brow quivering. "After I left, I did a lot of horrible things…

"Marcus insisted that I would learn control by usage instead of restraint, and an unsuspecting human was always the guinea pig. I didn't like that I was taking human lives, I only liked the flush of power, and I found it hard to resist. You must understand. It's similar to blood-lust, only more acute and it causes physical pain to deny."

"I understand," I assured her. "Believe me."

Bella smiled faintly, her lips pursing. "Instead of gaining control, I had almost fallen over the edge. That is when I met Gabriel…" she stopped speaking, her body shaking with anger. There was something in her face that made me look away. "He found me.

"His mother was a siren, his father a werewolf. Before he transformed, when his blood couldn't reject the venom, he was changed. The power…isn't as potent. For some reason it is stronger in females than in males," she frowned. "Gabriel," she growled, a low, melodic, but menacing sound, "has a connection to me. Imprinting or something similar. He didn't explain it clearly, only saying that because of what we are, we are attached.

"We worked together," she stopped, her eyes pleading with mine, "and he was the only one who could understand…could understand what it's like to have this…power…and I began to trust him deeply. He showed me how to...contain these powers, and I got pretty good at it until I saw you dead. I saw you mauled in your sleep. And you didn't stop him…you didn't…I begged Gabriel, I begged him to go to you, to help you, but he didn't answer me. He finally said I was too late…

"Everything hurt," she whispered. "Everything was wrong. Things happened I didn't like…didn't want…Amelia…Andrew…Heidi…they died at my very hands…Because actually," pause, "my 'special power' isn't to copy gifts. It's to steal souls." I couldn't tell her expression because she was pacing so quickly. She shrugged and stopped pacing, her eyes flashing. "For a while I roamed, didn't know where to go. You see, many of my memories are messed up and blotched together. For some reason the Cullens, just you guys and the emotions I had for each of you stands out clearly. I remember other names, but not as..." she stopped and shook her head. "Just names without faces. But then I remembered Forks and came here."

I listened to her story patiently.

"That's it?" I asked quietly. I took in her story for a moment, trying to understand it. For some reason, I wasn't afraid. She killed. She went insane. But I wasn't afraid. "That's not a very eventful story," I smiled slightly, trying to keep things light.

She bit her lip. "The next part you won't like."

"Oh really," I said sarcastically.

She nodded. "When I came to Forks, my emotions were a mess. Like I said, I was going to avenge your death. Yah, well, I sort of already had a strike on that."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," she started nervously, "I went to Egypt and searched for her. For some reason, my intuition screamed Egypt. Well, I didn't find her, but I found a camp of vampires." She sighed. "I won't go into the gory details, but they all ended up dead." Her face frowned. "So I decided to come back here. Only then did I realize how large a trail I left between Egypt and Forks. Only then did I realize that I forgot one new born." She lowered her face to the ground. "And not for the first time, I needed guidance."

I raised my eyebrows and pulled her into my arms. Her warm, naked body aligned itself so each part of her touched me. I sighed into her hair. "Its okay, Bella. You can tell me anything."

"I know I can tell you everything, but I can't stop your reaction. Already I can feel it. You're repulsed by me. I'm a killer, Edward. Lethal. A bad guy."

I shook my head contradictorily. "You are what you want to be."

"Sometimes we don't have choices on what side we are born to be."

"You sound silly," I murmured. "There are no sides of good and evil, Bella. Everything is from perspective. From one, you're evil. From another, you're a saint. In mine, you'll forever me my angel. No matter what you do."

She sighed heavily. "So I walked around here for a while," Bella whispered quickly. "And down La Push." Her voice came quicker. "And to a cliff." Pause. "And I heard your voice in my head." Pause. "I know it's silly," she amended quickly, "but I wanted to feel close to you. So I followed my instinct and ended up in the meadow.

"Of course it wasn't that easy. Once I realized you weren't dead, I was still afraid," she nuzzled my chest. "I was afraid to hurt you, afraid with one accidental movement, I could kill you." She ran her hand down my chest, her face turning up to view my expression. "But when you kissed me, I made up my mind. I didn't want to be a killer, and I wasn't going to be, and I had a choice of who I wanted to be with."

"Mind over matter," I murmured in recollection. The last time I had spoken those words, I was the threat. I smirked at how twisted our story became.

"Yah," Bella whispered slowly, as if testing the word. "Mind over matter."

I kissed her full lips, consuming her insatiably. I wanted all of her. Her love wasn't enough for me. I was greedy. I wanted her body and mind. I wanted every part of her, wanted to claim her as mine, something even a few vows and a ring couldn't fix.

"You do want me," she mused, pulling her lips from mine. Her eyes were sad at the thought, her lips turned down in a grimace. "You deserve more."

"There is no one who could hold half the attraction you do for me. No one could ever satisfy this deep hunger I will forever have for your presence, Bella. I'm yours, wholly, truly." She only lowered her eyes sadly, her lips pressed together.

"I wish you didn't feel this way about me." Her voice was full of sadness. It whipped through me like a tornado. It was quick, and destroyed me. "_I love you in ways that are incomprehensible, ways that don't make even the tiniest fraction of sense. And it hurts…it always hurts…"_

"Don't tell me that," I begged, tilting her face up. Her wonderful eyes locked with mine, and she studied them earnestly.

"I'm not saying I don't feel the same," she whispered. "Of course I'd feel the same. There is no one out there for me, but I'd give up my happiness for the greater good."

"I've heard of this greater good before, but I'm clueless. What the hell is this greater good, Bella?"

She blushed and stood, her body moving fluidly, like a river flowing from one place to another. Her grace was simply unmatched. "You're my greater good Edward. The reason for everything I do. Your life is my highest priority."

My eyebrows rose at her explanation.

"I have never lied when I said I love you Edward. I never lied."

I stood up, my feet moving of their own accord. I grabbed her body towards me, and kissed ever piece of flesh. "Edward," she moaned in a whisper.

I released her from my arms, and pressed a kiss on her forehead. She swayed slightly, from my sudden attack, and buried her face in my chest.

"I love you," she whispered, her body trembling.

"God, Bella, I love you." I was getting lost in her. Lost in her scent, in her voice, in her body. Every sense was aware of her presence.

"I wish I could give you the world, Edward, and the moon and all of the stars, but more importantly, I wish that I could show you my love, but it's impossible." She laughed dryly into my chest. "Of all the things I am capable of doing, I can't do one simple thing."

I pulled her tightly, sitting back down on the bed. "But you do," I contradicted. "You show me with every touch, every kiss, every smile, every glance." She pulled back and stared slightly amazed.

"And yet you're still skeptical?"

"Of course I am," I whispered. "There is no way someone so beyond perfect it's a sin could ever love me, could ever want me in the way that you do."

She laughed. "You make me sound like a goddess."

"Because you are," I informed her, cupping her beautiful face between my hands. She laughed and her eyes smoldered. "My angel, my goddess."

She smiled enchantingly, and not for the first time this morning, I wished to read her mind. She pushed me back on the bed, straddling my waist tightly. The heavy, lethargic, sensual feeling started to cloud my vision. Bella's lips, like the strongest of morphine, ran down my chest, paralyzing me. She paused her kisses and instead grabbed my hand, and placed it on her cheek.

"Yours," she mused, as if trying to find the secret message underneath the words, the truth, the lie. My eyes locked with hers, and I couldn't help but realize that I was the lamb, and Bella was one stealthy lion.

Her hand, which was still guiding mine, ran down her cheek to her neck and collarbone. "Yours to touch," she whispered temptingly. Something in her eyes sparkled like a growing fire. "Yours to stroke."

"Bella," I moaned as her other hand locked around my hardening manhood. I longed to roll us over and start another round, but she held me in a daze, like a cobra staring at a mouse. Instead of being afraid, I longed for her to consume me.

Her hand kept moving slowly, holding mine. It past her bosom and continued down to her hips, going slowly up the inside of her thigh.

"Yours to desire, yours to want, and yours to take." She looked at me innocently from underneath her eyelashes, her hair turning a dark black before my eyes. "Do you want me? Desire me? Love me?"

Before I could answer, which was an obvious 'yes', she crawled up my chest and kissed under my neck, humming a strangely familiar tune. All of me remained in this frozen state. The song seemed to echo through each and every limb, ordering it to remain still.

"Do you want me?"

Every part of my body suddenly came alive. I roared before rolling us over, attacking her with furious kisses that lasted all of two seconds. Bella simply lay underneath me, almost as if she knew my response was going to be something similar. "Oh Bella," I finally breathed on her magnificent breasts. "You have no idea."

She only laughed. "So I _do_ dazzle you. It's nice to know."

I rolled my eyes, and started kissing down her slender frame. "It's nice to know I'm the monkey for your experiments."

She laughed again, her body trembling with the effort. "You should be honored. I'm _a goddess."_

And she is my goddess. My reason. My life. My love. My air. My sky. My moon. My night. My day. My sun.

And no one can take her away from me.


	10. A Silver Lullaby

**A/N: Right off the bat, I wish to apologize for the lack of updates. I have to go to school, ya noe, so get off my ass.  
Sighs.  
And so you can keep this in mind, Edward's emotions are a little high. He doesn't want to go back to reality; he's much happier lying in Bella's arms, playing with her hair with a sigh, however that's not what happens. So, in the end of the chapter, when Edward no longer sounds like Edward, that's his reaction to stress.  
kisses,**

**Patricia**

_**A Silver Lullaby**_

"_Don't speak  
I know just what you're saying  
so please stop explaining  
don't tell me 'cause it hurts  
don't speak  
I know what you're thinking  
I don't need your reasons  
don't tell me 'cause it hurts"_  
**-No Doubt (aka, Gwen Stefani when she was cool)**

"Play for me."

"What?"

"Play me something, anything," she begged, her eyes pleading. "I can't remember anymore…" Her eyes closed, as if she was trying to recollect the times I've played piano for her in the past. They opened, and she shook her head uselessly. "I can't…"

"Oh Bella," I sighed, kissing her forehead. "I'll be happy to play for you."

She sat down on the bench, looking through a few scores I had left from the last time I was here. I sat down besides her, and cracked my fingers.

"Diva," she murmured ever so softly. I chuckled and pressed my side against hers.

"Critic."

Bella gave a timid laugh, and rested her head on my shoulder. Her breaths were soft on my neck, giving me tingles.

My hands hit the keys and I was lost in playing. It started as her lullaby, but timidly, the notes hit lower, more seductive keys, playing a tune I never remembered writing. Bella sat silently, humming along in a hypnotic way. My fingers turned harried and I slammed on the foot pumps, letting my sound grow louder and higher, echoing through the empty house. I continued her modified lullaby before rushing an end gave a grand ending. Bella was staring perplexed into space, her beautiful face puzzled.

"What's wrong?" I asked, cupping her face between my hands. "Did I play to your liking?"

"Of course you did," she assured me, her eyes glazed with understanding. I cocked an eyebrow and Bella shook her head. "Just a lot of memories," she murmured. I pressed my lips to hers softly, and Bella's arms slid down my chest, over my hips and to my thighs.

"Edward?" she asked, her eyebrows turned down in curiosity. She placed her hand in my pocket and retrieved her ring.

I froze, a million thoughts passing by my mind and rendering me paralyzed.

Bella fiddled with it for a long time, twisting it around her fingers. She brought it up to her brilliant eyes and quickly read the inscription. "'My Meteor,'" she whispered, testing the words. Hours stretched of Bella gazing with confusion at the ring in her hand before slipping it back into my pocket. Her eyes flickered up to mine.

Rejection washed through me, and I couldn't breathe. Bella's eyes met mine and the small creases above her forehead deepened. "I'm sorry."

The suddenness of her voice changed me. I grabbed her lips with mine, welding them together. Instead of kissing me back, like I wished, she simply became unresponsive, becoming a statue underneath my lips.

When I pulled away, her face was twisted in anguish. "This is wrong."

"Bella?" I whispered, pain evident in my voice.

"I don't deserve you."

"And I don't deserve you," I retorted, staring into her unique eyes. There was self-loathing, anger, depression, sadness, and fear. Loads of fear. "I'll never deserve you. Is this what it's all about, Bella? Marry me," I pleaded, kissing the arch of her neck. "Marry me. Run away with me. We'll hide from the world – just you and me. Nothing else will ever matter."

"Edward," she tried, trying to pull away from me. I held her tightly against my arms, my lips still against her supple throat.

"No, Bella," I murmured, my voice stiff, though my touch was thoughtful and passionate as I ran my lips along the length of her beautiful neck. "I'm sick and tired of there being reasons for us no to be together..."

"Then maybe we shouldn't be," she whispered. "Maybe this is our fate..."

"Do not tell me of fate, Bella," I snapped, "for if it wasn't our fate to be together, then we wouldn't fit together so perfectly."

Bella shook her head and pulled away her brown mixed eyes shocked and confused and angry and sad all at once. "Edward," she paused, "I want so badly to run away with you, want so badly to Edward!"

"Then why not?" I demanded, my voice dangerously low. "What happened to your descision, what happened to your revelation, Bella?" She winced. "_I didn't want to be a killer_," I mocked angrily, "_and_ _I wasn't going to be, and I had a choice of who I wanted to be with_."

"Edward, I'm not the only one capable of hurting you," she growled. "There are others, others that will come for me. Elesmeera, Gabriel…eventually the Volturi…I'm a wanted woman, Edward, and to add to the list of danger factor, to put it simply, _I'm _dangerous," she reminded me, brown eyes flashing. "More dangerous to you than anyone else; never forget that."

"Yes," I agreed. "The worst someone can do to me is kill me; you can leave me."

"Don't say that," she snapped. "I don't want to hear that you feel this way, Edward."

"How am I supposed to feel, then?" I demanded.

She shook her head, her brown eyes hardening with resolve. "I thought this could work," her voice trailed off and she frowned. "But I can see it in your eyes, Edward. You're only adding more painful evidence to my original theory, giving me vindication for the first time I left. I should leave."

"No," I murmured, my whole body releasing it's tense hold. My mind was spinning at full velocity, trying to understand everything it took in. Pain spread through my being, but I couldn't understand. I breathed in deeply trying to forget what she just said. "Bella," I pleaded. "Don't."

She turned to me, her face somber and tear streaked. She advanced hesitantly, and put a hand to my face. "I wish I could give you the world, Edward, and the moon and all of the stars, but more importantly, I wish that I could give you my love, but it's impossible. It'll hurt us too much."

I studied her devastatingly beautiful face, feeling the backs of my eyes burn. Surprise marked her face and she pulled away, her body only two feet away, but her love miles far, too far. She was moving at a speed I couldn't match no matter how hard I tried, how hard I forced myself beyond the clear boundaries of my power.

The pain spread from my heart through my dead circulation system, paralyzing me. My body was fully aware that the woman I was madly in love with sobbing silently, trying to bring me into awareness as I stood, my eyes closed and pulsating with venom tears that I didn't allow to fall. My stomach was lurching with vomit, and I felt like gagging. I estimated how far the nearest toilet was, but my frozen state wasn't allowing me. My mind was pained; it was trying selfishly to let Bella go. There was the logic that I had been seeking, yet slowly it was being turning to my heart telling me that 'logically', it would be stupid to let Bella go.

Another, smaller, smarter part of my brain was offering me the emotionless black out that I was slightly craving. I was succumbing to it with a leap of grace.

My mind was swimming, and I smiled as the blissful black out advanced.

"Edward!" Bella hissed.

I fell to the floor, and my eyes opened for some otherworldly reason, to view my Bella before she left. She tugged me against the wall, and I didn't question it. She growled, hissing underneath her breath. Something feral, something animalistic appearing on her face. She looked like a revengeful goddess; her porcelain face full of loathing, but fear still flickered. She crouched over me in a defensive position, her eyes narrowing. "Gabriel," she growled, "why are you here?"

And finally, the world went black.

_Power Surge X Power Surge X Power Surge_

**(A/N: The bit is written from a my perspective. In the original Black Out, there was a character named Patricia. Well, here I am. Being evil. Teehee)**

I grinned at the small female, flipping a dark mahogany curl behind my ear. Gabriel's arm wrapped firmly around my waist, his pale skin beautiful in the gloom of Forks. I smiled, running my hands all over his scrumptious body. My savior, my love...

I flickered my newly red eyes back to Isabella Swan, trying to find her lover. He was backed against the wall, his eyes closed and lips parted in a blissful sleep. "That's Edward Cullen?" I questioned aloud. His innocent expression was almost opposite his sharp defined features, the only boyishness residing in his small smile. Gabriel chuckled, and I realized that he was speaking to Isabella in his mind. I rolled my eyes and walked over to the piano and ran my fingers down the keys. I laughed and picked up the music, selecting an elaborate Linkin Park score.

"It's bad enough he listens to this crap. Must he play it?!"

"Put it back," she demanded, her voice sharp. "It's not yours to touch."

I laughed again, looking at the slight tanline around her left ring finger. "It's no longer yours either, honey."

A low growl flew out of her lips. "Who are you?"

I glared at Gabriel. "You forgot to tell her?"

He shrugged and gave me a short smile. "My mind is occupied."

"Who are you?" she demanded again, her eyes a flaming red.

I clucked my tongue and lounged on the leather sofa, deciding that it was a perfect warmth. "I am Patricia," I murmured, recalling my human name. "My mother had werewolf blood; my father had siren blood weakened by male-birth."

Her eyes were incredulous. "You're a full-breed?"

I giggled. "Yes. Of course darling, of course Do you believe there are only three of you in the world?" I paused, laughing at her expression. "There are many; their power is weakened by bloodline, but they are there."

She growled. "Why are you here?"

I smiled up at Gabriel, waiting for him to speak.

"We are here to take you back, my love," he informed her. The words 'my love' cut me. For many years, I had been 'his love', but I was above fighting for this little hussy. He only loves the power she controls, loves the mystery and excitement of unraveling it. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Suppose I don't want to go," the female hissed.

I chuckled and looked at directly at her. "_Sound_ed like you were going sooommmeeewhhheeerrrrreeee," I sang out, skipping close to inspect her. She stood with eyes wide, murder written in them. But she was surprised all the same. She believed that I would proceed with caution, believing I was afraid of her powers. Ha. She's too much of a wimp to use them. They should go to someone who deserves them, someone who would wield them.

I laughed at her face, and pushed her slightly. She fell over onto the floor, and I leaned in to inspect her Edward. He was a handsome vampire; very hot. But Gabriel is way better. She doesn't know what she's missing.

Something grabbed the back of my hair tightly, and pulled be backwards. I growled; Isabella growled; Gabriel growled.

"I _demand _that you release me this _instant_!" I shrieked trying to reach her from behind, but she was safely far away.

"How did you get here without signaling me?" she demanded.

"Like I'll tell you, you lil' bitch!" I screetched.

"Now, now," Gabriel murmured. "This simply _will not _do."

I felt his grip on my hair and suddenly I was released. I ran to the bathroom and checked to see if she made my hair fuzzy in any way. Son of a...

"OH NO!" I screamed, gazing at my ruined hair. I grabbed an elastic and put it in a messy, but fashionable bun before returning to the bedroom. "You little witch!" I accused.

"Tricia, darling," Gabriel hummed, his voice seething disapproval, "calm down my dear. I actually perfer your hair up. You have such beautiful features." His cold hand ran across my cheeks, and stopped at my lips in an affectionate gesture that made my hardly beating heart flutter. I turned back to the little wtich, my eyes loathing, but my actions more peaceful.

"What are you waiting for?" she demanded. "Aren't you going to force me?" her hands went up as if to threaten with her powerful palms. I rolled my eyes.

"Let's not get hasty; I came to reason," he sighed, his voice wise and calm, as if she was mearly a wicked child.

"I'm listening," she assured him, never relaxing her protective stance over the sleeping vampire.

"I wish to speak to you, and Edward Cullen," he continued, his voice even.

"He has nothing to do with this."

"He has everything to do with this," I argued, staring pointedly at her. I looked over at Gabriel who's face was agreeing. "Eddikins has more to do with this situation than you both will like."

Gabriel suddenly hissed, his eyes menacing. "Raven, darling, do not dare."

I rolled my eyes. "Can we please stop the dramatics? Wake up Edward, we'll have a chat, and then we'll go. No violence will come to _him_."

Isabella's eyes flickered to mine, and then back to Gabriel. He nodded and I groaned. "Can't you two speak _aloud_?"

"And risk having all Gabriel's secrets exposed? Not in your wildest dreams," she taunted, wiggling her fingers at me, as if she was casting a spell.

"Gabriel!" I whined.

He simply kissed my hand. "Relax, my darling," he murmured before releasing me. "Patience is a virtue you must seize while it's in your grasp, or it is forever gone."

I sighed, leaning my head against his chest.

"Now, Raven, please awaken Edward."

She shook her head. "Please," she pleaded, "I was trying to leave for his sake; I'm not dragging him any farther into this...this...blaspamous struggle of danger and power!"

"Raven," he said, leaning in close enough so that his lips were barely touching hers. I frowned deeply, crossing my arms over my chest and tapping my foot. "My sweet Raven," he murmured, twisting a lock of hair. 'Raven' stood deathly still, her eyes buldging with disgust. "Please do as I ask."

His hypnotic smile, that would've melted any other only blew up in his face. Bella moved away and growled. "Do not touch me for the sake of your life," she snapped. "I am not your sweet Raven; I'm nothing of yours. And my name is Isabella."

"My Raven," he said defiantly, "awaken Edward so I can go."

"Why did ya knock him out in the first place?" I asked rhetorically.

"Nothing that will concern you," Bella growled sharply before kneeling down to him.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."

_Power Surge X Power Surge X Power Surge_

**(A/N: In Edward's pov. Teehee. (Btw, no, I am not that pshychotic, and I am not that...pushy. LoL. It's like everything she is, I'm exactly the opposite.))**

"Edward?" a soft voice whispered. "Please wake up."

I didn't want to. I didn't need to. This felt too good; this emotionless numb. I wondered how much time had passed. I squeezed my eyelids shut tightly like a rebellious child defying his mother. Something warm passed over my brow, and suddenly alertness – wheither I agreed to it or not – came over me.

"Is he dead?" someone inquired. The voice sounded soft, innocent, like it belonged to a blue eyed girl with thumb-width blonde curls.

"Of course he is dead, my sweet; he is a vampire," another voice sounded. It was also soft; wisomous and thick with arrogance.

"Edward?"

That was the voice.

Her voice.

It was small, and pained, a little harried, but sweet, like music, like silk; smooth and soft and easily breakable. I wondered why she was still here, but instead ignored it, rolling over and clamping my eyes tightly closed.

"Edward...Edward please..."

I sighed, and rolled back, opening my eyes. Bella's face surrounded my view, as well as a curtain of darkness.

"Bella?" I murmured confused.

"Raven, darling," the female said in a mocking voice, "is he awake?"

Bella scowled and kissed my forehead. Suddenly there was a voice in my head.

_Listen to my thoughts; he perfers to talk through them. I'll give you orders you _MUST _follow._

I tried to compose my shock and awe at listening to Bella's thoughts, even though they were strictly edited.

I sat up, bewildered by Bella's beautiful face. She glared at a strange dark haired man. In human years, he looked to be around 15, but the power coming from him told me otherwise. It was a feeling that made my cells tingle with knowing; he was a dangerous man.

There was still a boyish roundness about his face, but the youth died in his blue eyes. The silver and yellowish-green flecks showed years and years of wisdom. At first, they studied my Bella, as if she was nothing more than an adolescent girl, and he was here to clean up her mistakes before resting upon me.

They were piercing, as if he was staring into the very core of me. The silver specks seemed to dominate the dark blue, turning his eyes into a steel like color. Hard, as if he was unbreakable.

"Stay out of his head, Gabriel," Bella warned.

"And you listen?" a small girl asked, draping her body along his in a sexual position. The man, Gabriel, didn't seem to mind the brunette girl throwing herself at him. She was attractive, naturally – pale face, defined features, unique eyes – but she paled in comparison with the beauty coming from Bella.

The girl straightened, and gave me a scrutinizing gaze. Her brown and cerulean eyes bounced between Gabriel and me before resting on my face. She gave me a slow, sensual smile, looking up at me from her dark curtain of lashes. I blinked rapidly when I realized she was trying to entice me.

Bella growled a low rumbling sound in the back of her throat. "Say what you came here to say or I shall rip your friend to pieces before your eyes."

Gabriel gave a half-hearted shrug, his eyes still resting on me with severe puzzlement. "I am Gabriel," he informed me. "And this is my companion Patricia."

"What do you want from me Gabriel?"

"Well," he mused aloud. "For one, you run away from me without a simple goodbye…"

"You lied to me, you sick son of a bi-," Bella said, moving closer to me. My eyes flickered to see she was glaring at the dark haired seductress who was still leaning against Gabriel.

Gabriel silenced her with a finger. "It would be nice to know where you go when you runaway, Princess."

Bella growled.

"But that is not what I'm here for. You see," he smirked. "I have a proposition to lay out for you two, seeing as you are both inseparable. Be sure to note that my emotions and yours have no meaning to me when it comes down to seriousness, but they are gravely added into my proposal. To put it simply, unless you want a repeat of what happened the last time you were in my presence," he nodded to Bella, "I'd stay under my guidance, Raven dear."

Bella growled again and Gabriel turned to me, silvery eyes flashing indignantly. _She's a threat, _he explained, _to herself, to you, and to me. Without guidance, she'll eventually kill. _

I gazed, slightly alarmed to Bella. She was still glaring at Patricia with a livid expression.

_Do not believe that he is only in this for the sake of the world,_ she cautioned. _This is more of your decision than it is mine, my love, but either way, I will not be able to stay long. Eventually I will have to go and do what I was created for, and if I fail, I do not want to hurt you. That's why I try so hard for a clean break, but when it comes to you…_

_I understand, _I replied mentally, knowing with my intuition that she could hear. I glanced over and saw that she nodded slightly.

_I can hear you. _

Gabriel's eyes turned suspicious. His companion was lounging in a position that would have been called seductive. She lay on her stomach, her head propped up on her palms, elbows holding up her face. Her skirt was pulled down slightly to reveal the top of a black thong, her long legs pumping up and down, heels waving in the air. Once again, I was disgusted.

Bella growled.

Gabriel's eyes locked once more with mine, and I could feel him tugging at my mind, shoving his words in my head.

_Now, without the proper understanding of what she can do, she's a threat to every person on this fair earth. Under my guidence, she'd be fine. It's in my blood to teach the 'Queen of the Rose'. My fathers have done it before me, and now I shall as well. Only I've been unlucky enough to turn._ He frowned. _I am not going to force her against her will, but quite obviously, Elesmeera has to go, no matter what our personal desires yearn for._

_Is that what Bella wants? _I demanded from him through our weak connection.

_This is what she _has _to do. There is a difference, Edward, and believe me, if I had a choice, my Raven would not have anything to do with this._

I snarled slightly at the thought of him having any claim on her. His eyes darkened.

_By hanging on to her, you're putting yourself in peril. I'm only wondering if you're going to turn away now, while you can, or stretch out the pain futher. You must understand, if you die before she can continue her quest, everything is lost._

I winced..

_Let her go, _Gabriel murmured in my head. _Let her go while I can still wipe her memories clean. She'll be better off that way._

"It's not my decision to make." I finally answered aloud for Bella's benifit. "I will stay around as long as she wants me."

Bella's face darkened slightly, as did Gabriel's. He shook his head. "Fools only make foolish decisions."

"How is it foolish?" Bella demanded. "Have you been around so long that you have forgotten the simple weaknesses?"

Gabriel chuckled, sat down, and crossed his legs. "You are all children. Disobidient and rebellious children. Ignorant. Yes love is wonderful," he paused and sighed softly. "Nice, I suppose, but it is painful. Stupid. Unwise. Love is your downfall. Love is foolish. Love brings pain, yet all of you fall into it willingly." He glanced at me, the silver glitter in his eyes dominating the idigo and green. "You'll only hold her back, only prevent her from doing what is right."

Bella hissed. "He is my right."

"When it comes down to it, is one life more important than the world? There are millions of people, plenty of which could take her place."

She looked at me horrified at just the idea.

"If you leave now, you could have a second chance." Before I could answer, Gabriel chuckled. "Yet you don't. Love will be your downfall."

And he was gone, leaving his sex kitten behind.

Patricia stood up, her face bright, looking at me from underneath her eyelashes once again, an action I have seen displayed on Bella's beautifully wonderful face, only with more dignaty. She ran her hand along the length of my jaw, and I tensed, growling softly.

"Plenty of people to take her place," she taunted, her hand running down my face to my chest. I grabbed it tightly within my own, crushing it so hard I heard something crack.

"Owww!" she cried in anguish, pulling back her crushed hand. "How could you, you meanie!"

"Do not touch what is not yours," I warned her.

She hissed under her breath, her cat like face turning to Bella. She gave another hiss, like a snake ready to shoot her poision, turned, and disappeared.

Silence stretched for a long time. I wasn't able to meet Bella's eyes yet, not ready to confer to come to an understanding. Was she planning to return to them? The thought of Gabriel taking my place by her side made me sick.

Bella collapsed onto the love seat and ran a hand through her hair, her face blank, eyes downcast.

"They're home," she murmured in a monotone.

Sure enough, the door opened and my sister tackled me into a hug. The abnormality of seeing Rosalie almost glow with happiness made my brows jump up.

Demetri rolled his eyes at my sister. "She's just glad she got to take out her stress on two poor wolves."

She giggled happily. "They decided to check up on you and Bella. Oh Bella!" Rosalie ran over to Bella and hugged her tightly, but Bella didn't respond; only stood straight for a long time.

"I'm going to bed," she muttered, eyes meeting mine for the briefest minute.

_I promise, I shall be in bed if you choose to check._

She disappeared upstairs, leaving my sister, Demetri, and I alone to converse in whatever way we chose appropriate.

Demetri let out a low whistle. "Bella grew up."

I growled menacingly and Demetri put up his hands in a surrender gesture. "Hey, no harm, no foul. I didn't touch her."

I growled again and Rosalie touched my shoulder. "Relax, Edward. You look like you've went through hell. Are you alright?"

"No," I replied, my hand trembling with anger. "No. No. No. No."

Rosalie's eyes were scortching topaz heat. She glared angrily into space, her mind cursing Bella with fury. Demetri simply looked confused, as if he was lost.

I sighed. "I'm going hunting," I said finally.

"By yourself."

"Yup," I replied.

Rose looked at me unhappily. "Allow Demetri to go with you, at least to be around, just in case..."

"Sure, sure," I said hurridly before running away from that damn house, from Rosalie, and Bella, and memories, and hurt, and pleasure, and saddness and right into something I could control; hunger.

It was so much easier that way, if the only thing in my life would be hunger. It was so predictable; I'll get hungry eventually, then I'll eat, and then I'll get hungry again. There was no emotion in it, only instinct. Logic. No love, no saddness, no pain.

I shook my head and sped deeper into the forest, ready to kill whatever crossed my path.

Nope. I don't fucking care anymore, and damn did it feel good.


	11. Enlightening Explainations

**A/N: Some things are a little bit copied from **_**Eclipse**_ **and I hope I'm not spoiling it for anyone. I won't point them out, just so a reader who hasn't had the pleasure of reading the book won't know what's in it. I'm not that type of mean.  
Also, I'm running out of songs!!! Start donating some underground stuff, peeps! A Patricia without music is a Patricia without fanfic ideas! That's a very sad thought. And please, please, start reviewing. It makes me happy  
A/N2: I sort of explained some stuff: all the stories about Elesmeera before this was off by a little bit. Banish most of those from your head. I really vague about Bella's gift. I'm sorry. I promise to explain better soon. ) Any questions, review, pm, or even email. Don't really care, and I promise to answer them ASAP.**

**(Irrelevant A/N): FOR ALL THOSE WHO READ BROKEN SKIES, RAINING STARLIGHT, AND AURORA BOREALIS: MOONRISE IS POSTED (only the prologue) AND IT WILL BE THE EDITED AND REVISED VERSION. IT IS SET AFTER ECLIPSE, SO SOME THINGS **_**WILL BE DIFFERENT**_**. IT WILL FOLLOW THE SAME PLOT, BUT WITH A LITTLE TWIST. Please keep your eyes peeled.**

**Sincerely,  
PWISE  
**

_**Enlightening Explainations **_

"_Everything you say to me  
Takes me one step closer to the edge  
And I'm about to break  
I need a little room to breathe  
Cause I'm one step closer to the edge"  
_**-Linkin Park (before they turned 0 emo)**

Bella's hand was tight around mine, her expression grave. Gabriel's face turned slightly thoughtful as he went over Bella's proposal. Rosalie was lounging on the couch, Patricia was dancing by herself to her iPod, which was blaring some sort of salsa music, and Demetri was watching her a little bit too interestedly.

The relaxed atmosphere of the room was obviously superficial. I couldn't help but feel tension, anger, annoyance, and jealousy, the strange taste of too many emotions dulled at once. Gabriel's eyes shot over to scrutinize my face; he knew I knew what he was doing. I suppose it was noble, keeping our companions muted. I'm sure that Rosalie would've attacked Patricia by now.

"If you wish to teach me, teach me," Bella said in a subdued tone. "I shall go with you freely, but Edward shall follow."

I smiled half-heartedly at our agreement. I would follow her until the end.

"Is this your choice?" Gabriel asked. "To walk into the middle of a war where you do not belong, to walk into a cause that you don't have to fight for?"

"This war is not simply for you any longer, Gabriel," I hissed. "This is a war between us all."

He simply nodded, his eyes silver ice. "What shall you do about your family?"

"Alice will understand; she shall take Demetri and Rosalie back to Volterra where they shall be safe for now."

His eyes flickered with amusement. "Volterra no longer stands."

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"Elesmeera is trying hard to keep up with Bella; she has been turning humans into vampires. All over the world, there have been mass disappearances; humans being snatched from their homes for the change, or humans being snatched from their homes to satisfy the newborns. How can Volterra stand with hundreds of thousands of vampires, werewolves, and sirens attacking? Oh, yes, a newborn is weak, stupid. How would it feel, however, if for every one of you, there are ten you must defeat, and another ten that will be waiting to take their place? Would you not succumb to their overwhelming force?"

"Where is my family?" I demanded. I looked at Bella, who was staring shocked at Gabriel. Her eyes were glazed.

"Where are they, Gabriel?" she whispered pleadingly.

"They're fine," he assured, smirking. "All have gone underground. Jasper, however, is suffering from a multitude of werewolf wounds. They shall be fine. Alice's uncanny power of premonitions has saved their lives time and time again."

I let out a breath I had been holding.

"I must warn you," he said in a nonchalant tone. "They shall be arriving soon."

"I…"

"As much as you both want to deny it, you all are safer around Bella and I."

"Why should we trust you?" I insisted, looking at my sister, who was still lounging on the sofa as if she hadn't heard her family was returning, as if Emmett no longer mattered.

"Why shouldn't you?"

"Because you tell us what you think will help you cause," Bella snapped angrily.

Gabriel's eyes softened. "My dear Raven, do not think that way of me," he put a hand over his heart in mock pain. "It hurts me so."

I growled and Bella placed a hand on my shoulder. _Stay calm; this is only a game to him._

_If he likes to continue to play, he must keep his witty mouth SHUT, _I snarled in reply.

"If you must know," he continued in a drawl, "I only do what I believe is correct. For you, who are clouded by silly emotions, my conviction is hard to understand, however it is righteous. You both look at yourselves before you look at the world. Do you think I wish to ruin your lives? No. I'm not that cold and calloused. I wiped Bella's mind clean for one reason; to clear her path, to help her understand what she has to do for the sake of everyone else before herself. Sadly, her stubbornness prevailed. I told her that you were dead in hopes she would forget about you, hoped to motivate her. It did," he frowned. "However, I learned how out of control her powers have become. She was going to die if she stood affront of Isabelle; I pursued her, hoping to save her from her untimely end, but instead, she found you and her judgment is once again clouded by her love.

"Her future is to help the world's future," he explained. "It was marked upon her. Bella?"

Bella's eyes hardened and she opened her left palm, exposing the scar James had placed upon her. I tensed as the image of James danced through my head, his expression taunting; the same mocking expression Gabriel wore.

"What about this?"

"In the Book of Old," he continued, "there is a girl with a crescent scar holding a flame, dark black hair that turned from black to brown to red, and eyes similar to Bella's shape and color. It was prophesized by someone with a similar power as Alice's; Bella has become our salvation."

I stared quizzically at the steel eyed man.

"Disbelief," he sighed and pulled a book out from his inside pocket. "This is the 'bible' to all sirens. Bella and you know an abridged version of the tale of birth. It's a very interesting story," he smiled, and flipped through the pages. "Here is the picture of which I have spoken."

Bella took the book and gazed at the picture. Her eyes widened. I walked over and peered at the book from over her shoulder, and I'm sure that my eyes widened as well.

There was a picture of female with bright brown eyes, and specks of topaz and hazel. A small ring of red was around the pupil, somehow dangerous. Half of her pale face was in shadow, menacing on in the dark. Her expression was solemn as she gazed at the small red fire warming her palm, tendrils of hair curving down her face in loose waves. It started as black, but slowly made its way down to a brilliant red by the time it hit under her bosom. Her other hand was outstretched, exposing the crescent scar, as if she was reaching for someone.

The likeliness of my Bella and this picture was eerily alike.

"Prophesized by yours truly," Gabriel said, toying with Patricia's hair. She gave him an affectionate grin and nuzzled his chest, an action Bella has done a million times. It was obvious she loved him, but it was also obvious he didn't love her, in that prospect anyway. He stared at Bella with something that made me want to kill him where he stood. Was it affection? It was the same look in his eyes the dog had when he gazed at Bella; admiration…warmth…a deep liking…

I shuddered.

"So we have come to an understanding – an agreement of some kind?" Bella asked, her hand gripping mine tightly.

"No, we still have to hammer out some…problems. Where is your family to go?" he asked.

"They are to come with us," she said firmly. "Edward?"

I stared down at her brown eyes.

_He makes sense, even though we both wish not to see it. _

I nodded. "I agree."

"Marcus and his guards must join us as well," he murmured. "I have promised their protection. He is the last of the Volturi that I know of anyway."

"Caius and Aro have been killed?" Bella inquired.

He nodded solemnly. "Protecting your family, as a matter of fact," he grinned. "I also wish to inform you, Edward, that Jacob Black shall be apart of this party."

I nodded and Bella gave me a confused look. "Who is that?"

"An old friend," I said through a clenched jaw, trying to conceal my surprise. I suppose Gabriel had wiped out her less important memories. "Why is he going to come with us?"

Gabriel inclined his head and gave a smile. "Why shouldn't he?"

"Answering a question with a question is hardly polite," I tried to say in my most patronizing voice, but it came out as a growl.

His slight smile became a full-blown condescending grin, his eyes brightening with the desire of provoking the anger he knew I had. "Why isn't it? Because you do not have an answer for my question, or the fact I do not have an answer for your question?"

Bella sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "You're pushing my buttons Gabriel."

He shrugged. "Do not have easily pushed buttons, and I shall not push them. Might I ask," he said quickly so I couldn't respond to his first comment, "what is the game like around Washington? I might as well try and show Bella how to hunt while I'm here."

"Bella has to hunt?" I asked incredulous. Bella frowned.

"Sure she does," he sighed and gave she a disgruntled expression. "You didn't tell him of your…perks, did you?"

She growled.

"As you can tell," he said waving a hand in Bella's direction, "she is basically a hybrid of all dominating life forms – human, werewolf, siren, and vampire. Because she is one fourth of all, she must go through each quality. She eats human food and she must hunt, however only a small fraction. The problem is," he made a face, "is that she has an aversion to blood. So far, we have gotten her to digest small amounts of human blood – from a blood bank, Edward – but we cannot get her to hunt alone, or even with all of us there to support her."

Bella blushed and looked away. "It's disgusting."

"You have witnessed first hand about her temperature," Gabriel continued, ignoring her comment. "Have you spoken to him of your gifts?"

She made a face and sat down next to Rosalie. Rose smiled adoringly up at Bella and started showing her some dresses from the magazine she had been reading.

"Is she under your influence?" I asked, pointing to Bella with a frown.

His brows furrowed, and when he spoke, his voice was soft, vulnerable. "Willingly. She no longer wishes to take part in this conversation."

"What's so…harmful about her?" I asked, gazing at Bella with a frown. "She looks fine to me. A little confused, but still Bella."

She looked up and met my eyes, her face brightening. She patted the cushion next to mine. "Sit with me!" she chirped, her eyes inviting. I only shook my head, turning to Gabriel.

"You must understand," Gabriel said, his once defenseless expression hardening. He swallowed deeply, almost as if the words he was trying to speak disgusted him. "She will always be Bella as long as she is stubborn. For example, you, she loves you, clearly. Adores you to death."

I smiled gloatingly, and walked over to cup her face in my hands. She grinned and pat the seat again, tugging me down to it. Gabriel only grimaced.

"But she is considering the pros and cons of each decision she makes. For once, everything is weighed heavily on Bella. You should understand. At one time, you were once the threat and staying around her was keeping her in danger."

I nodded and Bella leaned against me happily. Any traces of struggle had disappeared from her face.

"She has an extremely strange gift," he continued, eyes scanning outside, "however her…beliefs are slightly off. Her interpretation of her power is that she steals souls. She is wrong."

"Then what is she capable of?"

"Anything she believes she is capable of," he said with a smirk. "She can copy gifts – that is her power, her gift given by God, but there is one other, a rare power, one that I have hoped would never exist – she is able to do what she wishes. The normal boundaries for even our kind are the same for any human. Time, gravity, and so forth, but for Bella they do not apply. If she wishes to fly, she will fly. If she wishes to transport herself to the moon, then she will. And if she wishes someone to die, that person will most certainly die."

I sat dumbstruck, my mind turning off. Bella gave a soft smile, resting her head on my chest. "She's capable…of anything?" The idea that Bella – the small, reckless, thoughtless, loving, kind girl could ever, _ever_ have such capabilities made a soft, hysterical laugh pass through my lips. "How could she…? That's impossible? Look at her for God's sake!" I pointed to Bella, who was trying to talk Rosalie into waiting on her seventh wedding. "She doesn't even look capable of ripping a paper without feeling guilty!"

He frowned. "I can't disagree; she is one of the most compassionate women I had ever met. Her selflessness is astounding; how she can look at everyone else before her self is amazing. That is why she was chosen; she is ready to sacrifice herself for everyone else without any self regard. She has a rich soul, Edward," his face came alive with passion as he spoke of my Bella, his eyes lighting up and his eyes watching her intently.

"I foresaw Bella when I was young," he continued, his eyes flickering back to mine, "only a three hundred or so, around the age of your Carlisle. The tale of Isabelle has been mixed and tainted with myth over the years. Such a shame."

"Cut to the chase," I demanded, winding my arm tightly around Bella's waist, pulling her towards me protectively, my face informing him she was mine.

He blinked rapidly and frowned, his eyes turning serious; hard iron. "Isabelle was still Isabelle when this event occurred. It was months after she gave birth to Bella's ancestor, months after she became the wife of Marcus – this was while Marcus was away.

"Marcus' and Isabelle's cause was despised with many of us, immortals. We were better, stronger, faster, and smarter; why would we ever live with humans in peace? What would be the point of that? Should we not dominate them?

"And so, the immortals stirred like a sleeping dragon, ready to set Isabelle's land afire. So she set off, in the night, for immortals that would help her cause, who would stand coolly in the raging fire.

"I was one of those immortals.

"She came to me, and almost immediately, I had seen a boy, a young man with hate in his eyes. A young man who despised his mother. A young man who loathed his family. A young man with evil intentions. The sad part was, this was the babe in her womb – this was the child whom would be not named – the child killed on the first of January.

"Naturally, Isabelle had a choice. She chose the latter – a choice you must have heard of, Edward," he sighed, his face somber. "She killed her baby boy."

"What does this have to do with Isabella?"

"Everything!" he exclaimed. "Once Isabelle killed her boy, Marcus was there, ready to meet his children. And instead, he finds a bloody babe. The insanity! He killed his bride, turning her immortal. And Bella has this part right. All her fear, and conviction, and anger turned her into what she is.

"It was then, did I see a woman give birth to a child. It was then I saw a brunette teenager walk through Forks with a grimace. It was then I saw I young woman lying in the arms of her vampire lover. It was then did I see a woman with a flame burning her hands, a composed yet wild look in her eyes. It was then did I see this beautifully complex woman slay the tyrant that would have ruined our world.

"I was won over with seduction and told of this child to Elesmeera. She simply laughed," his face twisted into regret, his fingers drawing a moustache and bead in a rueful way. "'A great tool she shall become in my dominance, this child of mine', she had screamed into the sky, and like a lion, she crouched, ready to pounce on the deity waiting to be woken from her slumber.

"Do you not understand now?" Gabriel asked impatiently. His stony eyes burned with the intensity of a silver fire. "She does not belong to you, or me, or any other who believe she is tame. She is wild. This is the fire, the hope of the world, the only light in our darkest hour. Her imagination and brilliance is what make this land, and shall rule it accordingly."

My shock was plain on my face. I turned to Bella, who was happily giggling with Rosalie.

"So," he started, twisting a lock of Patricia's hair around her finger. "Do you still regard me as the bad guy, or have I shown you the 'light'?" he chuckled dryly.

I ignored him, and watched as Bella skipped upstairs. "I'm going to clean our room," she called happily. Demetri smirked and made a move to go after her, but Rosalie pushed him back down. She then continued to go through magazines, her face draining the pages of their glamour.

"Does Bella know of all this?"

"Not all," he confessed. "I'd rather her stay ignorant to some things – like her overwhelming power. If she tuned into that without practice and control, she'd surely destroy everything. It might sound a little, er, wrong of me, but while she's unaware it's easier to control her power, to keep her muted. If she ever, _ever _tapped into it…chaos," he tapped his fingers in lazy staccato on Patricia's head.

"You're controlling her?" I asked with sudden fury. "How can you do such a thing? How is she supposed to learn restraint if you've taken control of her?"

"I wish that I could let her loose," he said in a sour note, his eyes truly apologetic. "However, unless you want to say goodbye to her, then you'd better keep your mouth shut."

I sighed and shook my head.

"Might as well release them; I am through speaking with you," I said formally, getting up and running a hand through my hair in a stressed gesture.

Gabriel gave me a slight smile and continued to play with Patricia's curly hair, pulling a curl to watch it bounce back into place.

"Your family shall be arriving in four days; Marcus and his remaining guards in two. If I was you, I'd take the private time you'll be able to manage with Bella now seriously. I doubt that we'll ever sit around like this again," he sighed in longing.

I frowned and continued my way upstairs. I was halfway through the door when two long arms wrapped around my waist.

"Hello," she sighed into my back, her voice muffled by my shirt.

I changed my position so she was leaning against my chest instead of my back. I kissed her hair, holding her tightly, feeling slightly wrong that I was keeping such a secret from her.

I am masochistic, obviously, so my thoughts immediately turned to something I had never considered; it's so easy to keep this from her– is Bella hiding anything from me? How can there be a relationship where we keep secrets from each other?!

I sighed, tightening my hold on Bella and trying to become jovial for her sake.

At least I still had her – secrets and all. It's a lot better than nothing.

Bella smiled slightly and kissed my lips, her eyes remaining open to study mine. I couldn't look away, couldn't close my eyes - she held me prisoner in her tantalizing gaze. She pulled away and tried to smile again, except the ends turned down.

She reached into her jean pocket and pulled out a bracelet, the silver links catching the light. Hanging off the middle chain was a small wooden carving of a wolf. If I didn't know who this was from, I would've noted the beautiful detailing. Instead, I gazed at it shocked.

Bella frowned.

"I remember Jacob Black."


	12. Blinded by the Flame

**A/N: This chapter really sux. I'm sorry. I'm also sorry I haven't updated recently. School has basically dominated my life and plus, I've been on punishment for a while :o Yah, I'm a badddddd girl. Whatever. **

**Er, to continue this, I must say, first of all, has anyone seen the guy who's playing Edward? EWWWWWWWW! Yuckieee!  
Secondly, Bella's alright, I suppose…  
Um…what else am I meaning to say?????????? Er…Oh yah, review, give me some song names, have a happy and safe holiday, and pray that this Harry Potter fag dies in the middle of the night so they have to recast Edward. Tight. **

**Peace,   
Patricia**

**PS: this chapter starts with a lemon, so those who are easily offended (er, it is a M fic for a reason…) please look away and scroll down!   
PPS: PPPPPLLLLLEEEEEAAAAASSSSSEEEEEE read this; it's slang dictionary.**

**Halfs: Those are vampires who were once siren or a vampire that was once a wolf.**

**Thirds: Vampires that were once a siren/wolf. **

**Quarters: Like Bella for example; she is part human, part siren, part wolf, and vampire. Coolio.**

**Full Blood: The dominant line in ancestry is female**

"**Dirt Blood": The dominant line in ancestry is male**

**If there are some other terms I used and never explained, PM me on it. Also, please excuse the terrible grammar and well, terrible grammar. I'm not a proofreader, just a writer. XD**

_**Blinded by the Flame**_

"_These words with no replies  
stopping we's and starting i's  
this need is killing me  
and taking me over_

I wanted to mean everything to you  
but this isn't right  
you keep coming back disassembled and I  
keep losing this fight"   
**-Emery (rox the casbah)**

I laid Bella on the bed, kissed her tears away and aroused a strange desire in the pit of her soul. She held me tightly, frantically, her eyes red from tears. But she kissed me all the same, touched me all the same. We didn't make love out of passion but desperation, frustration, a need for comfort.

Bella and I are currently on different wave lengths. Her irritation has to do with her memories; she can't remember anything anymore and it frustrates her, while my frustration is on a higher level. I _don't _know _how_ to console her; I don't know _how _to comfort her. I felt like the insignificant one in the equation; I couldn't take care of Bella like I should, couldn't be the _man_, couldn't protect her. It seems that all I could do is offer her pleasure.

I pressed my lips to Bella's throat and she let out a soft moan, her arms winding around my neck, holding me close. I ran my lips down her neck to the notch between her collarbones and my tongue flickered out to taste the flesh. Bella whimpered, her hands kneading the inside of my thighs. I then brought my lips down to the valley between her breasts. I skimmed my nose along the length of them, cupping them in my hands. They overflowed my palms in perfect pale globes. Bella trembled, her breath heavy, bated. Her hands fluttered up and pressed my face harder to her skin. Listening to her silent request, I devoured her, suckled her, forced her to whimper my name until she couldn't take it any longer.

I could still hear the words she had spoke only minutes ago that paralyzed me, that broke me in ways I couldn't understand; _"I don't remember why I love you!"_

Regardless, she attacked ravenously, biting and sucking every part of my chest. My hand held onto the headboard as some sort of anchor to keep from falling, melting into Bella. Her fingernails dragged down my back, arching me into her. We both howled at the contact of our chests, her warmth on my cold skin. She slipped down my body and quickly unbuttoned my jeans, making sure to run her fingers over my already straining manhood. I groaned. She pulled down my jeans and fingered the top of my boxers, teasing me. Her beautiful tear stained face looked up at me with passionate eyes, her lips ruby red from the attention I had granted them.

"Oh God, Bella," I whispered when she fingered the erection jutting out from my boxers. She pulled down the useless underwear, finally freeing me from the cottony prison. "Please," I pleaded. "I need you now."

"Mm," she murmured, pulling down my boxers. Her warm, wet mouth sucked me as rough as possible, her fist curled around the parts she couldn't devour. I tried to keep myself in check, I truly did, but my _mouth_ couldn't handle it. I cried out her name, begging and pleading for mercy as she pleasured me. My hand followed her bobbing head, while the other gripped the headboard.

"Bella," I whimpered, "oh God Bella!"

My mind drew blanks, completely frozen. Paralyzed. It was just Bella and I in this world now, only us and never ending pleasure. I screamed out her name as she milked me for all I was worth, swallowing the venom I provided without a second thought. She slid back up my body slowly, her eyes empty, black orbs. All of me shook against her; my mouth still whimpering her name. Bella covered my mouth with hers, shutting off my small moans. My fingers fumbled with the button to her jeans, but I finally did get them off. I threw them across the room. My searching hand found her tight hole and swollen clitoris. Her arms tightened around my neck, her tongue feverishly hot against mine. I moaned into her mouth and started stroking her wet sex. Bella let out a strangled cry, trying hard not to detach her mouth from mine; she didn't want to succumb to me yet. I slithered down her body and tasted her sex; the freesia scent was intensified by her obvious arousal, the taste sweeter than anything I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. "Edward," she whispered, her voice lust filled as I continued to consume her heat, sucking on the small bundle of nerves, while my fingers worked sinuously in her core.

She grabbed my head and bucked her hips, her back arching off of the bed. I buried my face further between her legs trying to satisfy all of her. Her trembling was becoming hard to bear; she couldn't even moan or whimper anymore because her breath was coming too fast and was disrupting the process. I grabbed Bella and slammed her into the bed. She looked up at me with her glazed black eyes, her blush deepened and spilled down her neck to her breasts in a passionate pink that made her beautiful body come alive.

"Please," she begged, her back arching, eyes closing as she tried to fight of the overwhelming force of the orgasm waiting to be unleashed. I entered her at breakneck speed, and started the dance, the sinuous dark dance of lust and temptation, the dance of desire and yearning.

She bucked her hips to my pumping erection, her hands turning into little fists. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, her lip tucking underneath her white teeth. "No," I groaned, continuing to push in and out of her. I kissed her, pulling her lip from under her teeth. "Watch, Isabella."

Her eyes flickered open at my demand, her beautiful black eyes burning with the passion she had for me. "Edward," she whispered in a higher pitched voice than usual. "Oh God…"

Eyes locked, we tangoed in the dark, her mysterious, dense eyes staring into mine, glazed with pleasure. She bit hard on her lip again, her legs wrapped firmly around my hips, her waist circling to meet each thrust with as much as she had.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore, and bit hard into my neck, trying to muffle a scream. I yelped at the strangely painful and pleasurable attack, feeling heat settle between my legs. I however, was not letting go. I however, was working her, trying to give her as much pleasure as I possibly could. The wanting to fall off the cliff slowed me down; my trembling didn't help matters either. My slow thrusts were to her dislike. Her hips bucked quickly, her hand holding me underneath my butt, pulling me harder onto her. "Please," she begged, her voice rough silk in the night.

"I can't," I admitted. "You're driving me to the edge."

She rolled us over, not even giving me time to protest, and started bouncing hard and fast over me. Overcome by the beautiful seen of her over me, her angelic face, goddess like in the shadow, her lips parted and moaning my name, making it sound so perfect, so complete, I lost all thought, only how I could pleasure this beautiful creature.

My moonlight.

For a moment, I felt as if I had found my place, as if I had found what I could do to keep her. I watched how passion flickered across her face, how she gazed at me with a pleasured expression, how sex brought her so much physical joy.

Bella grabbed my hands and brought them up to her breasts. I squeezed them, stimulating her nipples, bucking my hips to enter her over and over again. I could hardly take it anymore; I was still touching the flame, still waiting for the burn, falling through the air, awaiting the bottom.

And the bottom, the burn, came to _meet me_.

It snuck up on me, quick and fast like a knife in my stomach. I tried to resist, my eyes closing, head falling back with a 'bang' on the headboard. I heard someone scream for Bella; was that me? Soft whimpers above me reminded me Bella was still here, her whimpers growing higher, faster, still dancing without a partner.

Finally, I released, Bella released, the whole world fell apart in glass shards. I came in explosive spurts of fire, emptying all my love for Bella in such a physical way. The warmth spreading through me almost gave me the thought I was human. We succumbed to the nocturnal fervor, her body falling atop me, my lethargic manhood slack between my legs. She let out a soft sound of pleasure; a cross between a purr and a whimper, her lips kissing up my neck to my ear. She rested her lips there for a long moment, softly breathing.

I was afraid to move. My head felt detached from my body... My mouth was still numb from screaming. I'm sure that if I spoke it would be rough, it would crack.

She rolled away to the other side of the bed and slowly relaxed her breathing. She stared at the charm bracelet around her wrist until she finally fell asleep, her head falling to the side, eyes closing in a deep slumber.

I watched her sleep for eternities, it seemed. Never have I been so completely fascinated in such a boring subject. The way her face scrunched up, her breathing escalated slightly when a dream called for such, the way she would twist and turn in the blankets fascinated me. And as I watched, as I watched her sleep, for some reason, I knew we were coming towards the end of the rocky peace we had established; something more terrible than our "relationship" issues was coming, and hell, I didn't know if we'd survive.

_Power Surge X Power Surge X Power Surge_

"Where are we going?" she inquired, skipping besides me. My hand was tight around her, leading her away from our house and farther into the forest.

"I'm going to hunt," I explained in a dry tone, "and you are too."

"No," she growled under her breath. "_No._"

I can't take it anymore. Everyday, Rosalie had to find a different disguise to buy Bella at least two carts worth of food to settle her. Not only did she take out her hunger on human food, but on her vampire boyfriend; ME. I wouldn't mind the fact she is so eager to throw me on the bed and consume me every other hour, but trying to apologize for the sexual sounds flowing from our bedroom was taxing my dignity. Rose was getting annoyed at it, and Bella, and me, and a life without her Emmett. The only reason she hasn't tried to choke Bella yet is the fact she is happily giving her a play by play of her husband's actions.

Without any connections to any type of blood bank in Forks, we simply couldn't get her some vials or a flask of it, so it came to this; either she was going to hunt, or I was going to go insane.

As usual, Gabriel was gone, only reappearing to explain that the last Volturi member was in a disclosed location once. Like I gave a damn. Patricia, his lap dog apparently went where she pleased. Once and a while she'd stay around the house and bother the hell out of us all, but after the few times we tried to probe her for information, she decided to stay away from us for as long as possible. My family had never returned and if they are in the "disclosed location" with Gabriel, I will seriously rip his throat. It's been maybe two weeks and a half, and thank God that no one came trying to assassinate us because a pissed off Rosalie, a sex-deprived Demetri, and a very hungry Bella won't mix.

Bella snatched her hand from mine, her eyes a flat onyx.

"Bella, you have to hunt," I sighed. "It's unhealthy to go on as you have."

"I don't like it; I don't want to. I'm doing fine without it."

I didn't contradict her in fear of World War III. Without actually eating, she became extremely edgy. She actually got angry when I dressed her for bed because she fell asleep in jeans. Normally, Bella would hate it, but never would she actually get so angry she'd slap me and sleep in another room. "You haven't even tried, honey. Just please, just try for me."

Her flint eyes sharpened and she walked away slightly, crossing her arms in a stubborn gesture. "Don't make me choose."

"I'm not going to. I thought you wanted to see me hunt."

She turned around and her brow arched this time. "Don't bate me like that."

"Please," I begged her. "This is unhealthy."

She growled. "Edward, I don't like to hunt and I won't."

"What's different?!" I hollered. "You ate meat when you were human; you eat it now! There's no difference expect one is fresh and the other is pre-murdered! Please, honey, just once. I'll go with you; I'll help you. Hell, I'll get something for you. Just please…"

Her eyes flickered and for a moment, I swore I saw traces of the gorgeous brown I had fallen in love with. I walked towards her and massaged her face with my hands, finger combing her hair as gently as possible. "I'm sorry Bella," I apologized. Her face softened a bit, but still, she gave me an indignant stare. "I love you, Isabella Swan, and all I want is the best for you. I'd never ask for you to do something that would possibly harm you."

She quickly scanned my eyes before kissing me softly, her arms winding around my waist to pull me closer towards her. With closer inspection, her black eyes seemed just a dark brown; the green flecks little dark green dots around the pupils. "Edward, I just can't."

I kissed her back with more warmth than I had given her in a long time, trying to seduce her into thinking my way. "Please?"

_Edward, I can't hunt, I don't like it at all, _she explained exasperated.

Frowning, I sighed. "At least come with me. I don't want you alone in the house."

She shrugged, but then her dark eyes lit up. "I'll get to see you hunt, right?"

I grabbed her wrist and brought it to my lips, ignoring the vile bracelet in the way. It smelled – no _stunk_ of werewolf. The inexplicable smell of dirt and some sort of musk clung to Bella's natural perfume, transforming it into a sour aroma that stung my nose, but I ignored it. I kissed her pulse, then each finger tip. "If you want," I murmured, kissing her wrist, then her palm, then her beautiful lips in acts of desperation.

She shook her head at me in regret, but ran into the forest. I followed as she led us deeper into the forest ever so gracefully. I watched her lithe body like a hawk; half of me watched to keep up with her while the other, lustful part of me, watched her sexy body out of pure pleasure. She slowed down and I grabbed her from behind, kissed her neck.

"Mm," she murmured with a sigh.

The smell of blood caused thirst to creep up on me, burning the back of my throat like a wildfire. A fat bear came stumbling out of the bushes, snarling and growling over just our scent. Bella winced when I crouched in offensive position.

Half of me delighted at showing her the rest of my life, while the other was afraid. I wanted to hide this from her as I had for so long, but I also wanted to reveal this. I looked over at Bella who was staring dumbstruck at the bear, her lips curled in a strange intimidation. I smiled slightly.

"Watch," I advised gruffly, feeling instinct take over.

Bella sighed and shook her head, her eyes widening in confusion and fear. She glanced over at me then at the delicious bear standing too close. "I'm watching."

I pounced on the animal and broke its neck, silencing its screams. I growled in triumph and ripped open its neck, bursting the artery. Dark red blood showered me, seeping through to my lips as I drank away the life source. All of me delighted in the shower of blood. For a half second I forgot about Bella, forgot about every damn thing, only this taste, this disgustingly delicious blood.

Eventually, I finished and disposed of the remainders and turned to Bella, who stood slightly astonished by the trees.

Her blood called to me.

I'm not sure why, I'm not sure how, but I could smell her blood. Her neck, the pulse beating quickly called to me like an old seductress, bringing me closer.

Bella looked at me confused and still mystified. "Edward?"

Her pulse, by every second, went up just a bit until it became a throbbing temptation in the side of her neck. I growled and crouched even lower.

"Edward?" Now she was grinning. How she translated my blood lust into plain lust, I will never know.

I pulled away and closed my eyes, trying to stop everything. I stopped breathing, stopped moving, tried to stop visualizing the red blood pouring from her snow flesh.

The monster slowly oozed away. I opened my eyes to find Bella standing affront of me, her beautiful face perplexed. She frowned and wiped blood from the corner of my lips. She pulled her finger back and found a single drop of blood on the pad. I flinched from her, watching the throbbing in her neck in frustration, wondering why it was no longer calling to me. Hesitantly, she licked the drop and closed her eyes, her face contorting into the same relaxed, pleasured expression I got after she came.

She sprung at me suddenly, capturing my bloodied lips with her own, licking them hungrily. The fixation I had on her blood changed into a fixation on her body. I grabbed her hips and sucked her own lips as well. She pulled away with a wild look in her brightening eyes.

She growled, her eyes darkening to a black with red around the pupil that looked like the very pits of hell. She shot off, leaving behind a ruffle of falling leaves. I followed leisurely after. I eventually found her bowed over a large male grizzly, her eyes closed in that orgasmic expression. Blood splattered her clothes, her face, was combed into her long hair. She disposed of the body as I had and shot off again. I smiled grimly and leaned against a tree, waiting for her to finish.

Minutes passed of me staring up at the bright blue sky. The humidity was around eighty percent, the heat a warm seventy. A soft ten mph wind blew occasionally. A beautiful day. I tried to think what happened a while ago. Did the blood trigger something in me that suddenly could smell Bella, or was it simply a memory? Was it Bella's influence on me, slowly taking over me, maddening me until I snapped on her? Or was this simply a made up thing? Lately, my imagination has been running wild. I gave up thinking these thoughts and just let myself be consumed with the depression. Either way, either answer you choose, the bottom line reads I almost attacked Bella and would've killed her, had she been human still. I tried to take my mind off of this by playing a few games and taking advantage of whatever game was around, but every time afterwards, I'd feel twice as worse. I gave up hunting and instead tried to visualize my Bella. She would come to me if she wanted to be seen. It was her first hunt; she needed space. Hours passed of this pondering; the sky was turning a dark navy, the stars returning to their rightful place. Twilight. The sun hung low over the horizon, the moon became brighter brighter.

Bella snuck up behind me and bit my ear, pressing her body against the length of mine. I turned and saw myself face to face with a brown haired girl, topaz and small green flecks in her eyes. She grinned at me, her ruby red lips turning up into a sensual smile. Her hair looked wet, her face shining as if she washed previously and I wouldn't be surprised if she did.

She pressed her lips to mine. They tasted of fresh blood and her natural sweet flavoring.

"How do you like hunting?" I asked, pulling away. Bella smiled and kissed my chest.

She simply shrugged.

"Mm," I mumbled. "How do you feel?" I asked softly. "Better than before?"

"Well," she laughed as if enjoying her own private joke.

"Well?"

"I'm not quite so hungry anymore."

"I didn't think it'd be so easy to get you to hunt."

"I was just so hungry," she said. "I couldn't stop myself anymore. It was overwhelming, Edward. I didn't think, I did…I must have looked like a monster."

"A very pretty monster," I teased.

"Hardy har." She licked my neck playfully and I shivered. She stretched, scratching her head. My eyes slid up her thin frame, marveling in the beauty of her body; the thinness of her waist, the width of her hips, the length of her long, creamy legs. Absentmindedly, she raised her arms over her head and my eyes shot to her breasts, which bounced up with the movement.

"Your eyes are black," she noted with a laugh. "Are you thirsty?"

I leaned back and smirked. "Hungry, actually."

She rolled her eyes and flipped back her hair, trying to put it up in a bun without an elastic. I fixed my gaze on her neck, becoming a little paranoid. Why wasn't it calling to me as it was before? I mean, of course it called to me, for it was just another delectable part of Bella that deserved kisses and bites and licks, but I wasn't wanting to pierce her skin for blood.

I reached and grabbed her hand, pulling her back to me. Testing myself, I ran my tongue over her neck. Nothing except little sparks of pleasure geared by her yummy skin. She gave me a small smile and licked neck, slipping her tongue up to into my ear. I moaned and gripped her bottom, letting her bite on neck, suck on my ear, abuse me with evil tortures.

"I wish we could stay here all night, but we can't," I choked out, and shivered when she nipped too hard on my earlobe.

She purred a laugh and licked a slow trail down to my navel. She looked up at me from under her eyelashes and smirked. "Why not?"

"Rosalie might worry…" I muttered. No, she'd definitely worry and I wanted to find Gabriel. I needed an explanation.

Bella rolled her eyes and ran her tongue inside my belly button, pushing my shirt up. "So what?"

"I'd rather not give her more reasons to kill me."

"I could kill you right now," she informed me, looking up. "End the suffering."

"Damn. It's basically tomorrow." I ignored her comments and motioned for her to get up.

She shook her head and stood up, pulling down my shirt. "Are we going now?"

I nodded and ran as fast as I could out of that forest. Bella easily floated affront of me, not even really tying. I growled at her in jealous anger until she stopped short, staring at the mansion with wide eyes.

"Crap," she muttered. "Rosalie took our absence a bit too far."

Gabriel stood angrily affront of the house, Patricia twirling around gleefully as if she was on some sort of substance. Demetri's eyes lit up when he realized our presence.

_You're dead, buddy,_ he informed me, shaking his head back in forth in a useless gesture. Gabriel walked over to me, his face masked. The minute he stood affront of me, he grabbed Bella by the arm and tried to tug her back to the house.

"What the hell?!" Bella screeched, pulling herself away. I pulled her towards me, wrapped my arms tight around her waist, and snarled.

"You!" Gabriel yelled. "How could you do something like that? Do you _know_ crazy you drove everyone?! For the love of God! How the hell did you…? No, you know what, Edward, I say that she can't be around you anymore. You're a terrible influence."

Bella bit her lip, trying to stop laughs. "Who are you to say _anything_? I'm a grown woman, Gabriel and you definitely aren't my father."

I smirked.

Gabriel's face turned red hot as he turned to me. "YOU!" My head whipped around to view a very angry Rosalie.

"YOU'RE BOTH DEAD!" Rosalie stomped over to me, grabbed me by my collar and dragged me back to the house. Patricia trailed behind, smiling like the cat that just ate the canary. Bella was staring at Gabriel, obviously thinking things that made him flinch. As usual, her mind was closed to me.

I groaned.

_I warned you_, Demetri thought sourly. _I'll try my best to calm her down. Not much I can do. _

Patricia merely danced around like a ballerina, completely overjoyed to have gotten Bella and me in trouble. I snarled at her, as did Bella. Rosalie tugged harder on my shirt. I groaned.

She threw me into the house, and slapped me. "You ass, Edward Cullen! I had no idea what was going on! You were gone, for a day, and with _her_. She's like the damn lighthouse for every freaky psycho! And your phone was off! Edward!

"And you," Rose turned to Bella, "what the hell were _you _thinking? You're the sensible one, come on Bella. You're a smart girl. Are you two trying to kill me?"

"I was hunting, Rosalie," Bella said calmly. "I was trying to make it easier for you. I didn't want to burden you with my wellbeing anymore. Edward and I thought maybe to let you rest for a while, just relax while we hunted. I didn't even image the possibility that you'd go crazy over us. I apologize whole-heartedly, and I _know_ it will never happen again."

I gaped at her for a few minutes. "Oh," Rose sighed before turning back to me. "I'm still going to kill you Edward Anthony Mason Cullen, even if it's the last thing I do."

"Oh Rose, come off it," Demetri sighed, massaging her shoulders. "They're back, they're safe. Isn't that all that matters in the long run."

She nodded, biting her lip and turned her face into his chest. _I was so afraid Edward, so freakin' afraid. I love you so much. If anything were to happen to you…_

"I understand Rose," I sighed, pulling her away from Demetri. She sobbed into my chest for a while, clinging to me tightly. Bella turned up her nose in disgust and stomped off upstairs. Gabriel followed, as did Demetri.

_I'll keep an eye on emo boy,_ he promised me.

"I need to call Emmett," Rosalie sniffed, running upstairs. I sighed and collapsed by the piano, frowning unhappily. Patricia sat down besides me, and started playing a random tune.

"You know," she started, "_everyone was worried."_

"Thank you Captain Obvious."

"Even your other family. They stumbled in today, but are all out looking for you."

I glared at her.

"Could you not sense the presence in the house? Sniff the air Edward. The disgusting smell is werewolf."

"Jacob," I growled.

"Yes, and Alice is with him. He's wounded."

I shrugged.

"He's wounded because," she continued airily, "a group of vampires followed them here, and he tried to fend them off for a while. That's why we were so worried, Edward. We had no clue that you'd be so close; we thought you were both dead."

"You underestimate Bella," I swallowed, trying my last argument. "She's surely take care of them."

"I sense many full breeds like Gabriel," she explained. "They have more experience than Bella and anything can happen."

"I understand," I grimaced.

Patricia looked up at me with sincere eyes, her face trying to find something. "You really do love her, don't you?"

"Yes," I answered.

She scowled softly and turned away from me, her pretty face scrunched up in anger. "Stay out of my head."

"I shall try."

She shook her head sadly before standing. "If you want, I shall rouse Alice. She surely wants to see you."

"No rousing required, Patricia," a familiar voice chirped. I ran to her side and squeezed her tightly.

"Alice," I finally said, pulling away. She laughed and hugged me tighter.

"Edward!" she squeaked.

"Alice?"

"BELLA!" Alice screamed, dive bombing the confused hybrid with all of her weight. Bella fell to the floor by the stairs with a laugh. "Whoa, you look better in person."

Demetri grinned. "That is hot," he muttered. We all fixed him a glare.

Bella smiled up at me unevenly, swallowing slightly.

"I already know what has happened to you. You must not remember me that much."

Bells shook her head.

"Mary-Alice Brandon Cullen, Edward's adoptive sister, your best friend and annoyance, AND, the best dressed on this earth," she proudly declaimed.

We both laughed from nervous energy.

_I'm sorry,_ she thought rapidly_, that I didn't see you two. My visions have become more and more confusing since Bella touched me; I only see flashes and the flashes I was getting aren't quite PG13._

Bella flushed pink and looked away, scrambling to get on her feet.

"Hey Alice," Demetri said, waving in a 'what about me' gesture.

"Hello, Demetrious," she said dryly. "You must be burning to see Felix."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I could care less about that asshole."

"Where's the rest?" I interrupted.

"Spread out," she explained before turning to Bella. "Did you do something to change your scents or anything? We couldn't track you at all. Demetri failed horribly. Jacob failed horribly. Even Gabriel and Patricia failed."

Bella's brows snapped together in confusion. "It must have been an accident. An unconscious decision."

I smiled thinly. "We didn't quite want to be disturbed."

Alice nodded with a grin. "I understand. Jasper and I are the same."

"Jasper?" Bella tried. "Your husband?"

"Correct," he answered running into the house. Scars marked all over his body in strange crescents; battle scars. "It is nice to see you, Bella."

Bella nodded politely, her face lighting up.

"Jazz," I grinned, punching fists together.

He gazed at his smiling wife, back at Bella and me, and then smirked. "Ah, I understand now."

Bella looked slightly amazed at me. _Can they speak through their minds?_

I shook my head and shrugged. _They're strange._

She smiled.

"EMMETT!" I heard someone scream on the other side of the house, before a crash and a bang.

"OH ROSIE!"

"Eww," Alice grimaced.

"Hey," I shot back. "Rose deserves it."

"Double eww," Alice groaned.

"After what we put her through…," Bella shrugged.

Demetri scowled. Jasper laughed.

"Esme and Carlisle?"

"Well accounted for," my father answered, striding into the house, clothes torn and hair whipped over faces.

"Oh my," Esme gasped, taking in our messy appearances then Bella. "You look so beautiful," she murmured thoughtlessly to Bella.

Bella's brows sunk into confused furrows. "Er…"

"Edward," Esme turned to me now, "where were you?"

"Hunting mother," I explained, my face just a tint of pink.

"Never again," she muttered, throwing her weight against mine. She squeezed me until I couldn't breathe, and then attacked the bewildered Bella. Carlisle gave me an awkward hug, then Bella. Alice led us into the living room, demanding a play by play of everything, but instead, I forced her into her information.

"Well," Alice began, looking at Jasper with a shiver. "Things are getting out of control."

"Yes," Jasper agreed. "This war is becoming more and more public. Mass disappearances all over the world have occurred. She's creating an army of vampires."

_Oh my, _Bella whispered wordlessly.

"So far there have been a few thousand," he explained. "However, the werewolves are slowly realizing that her plan isn't to rid the world of vampire but to dominate the world. You'd think that was obvious a while ago, but hey," he shrugged. "Everything wouldn't have been so bad if she hasn't been trying to get her vampires on the news. So far, she has sent them to attack news reporters while on live television. People are afraid and confused."

"Volterra is completely destroyed," Alice continued. "It's a waste land. Not a damn thing recognizable."

"Almost everyone who has survived has gone underground," Carlisle input. "And those who are underground are very few. There are some humans who know exactly what are going on, and those who are willing to help are setting up an underground railroad almost, however, there are some who decide they want to be vampire hunters," he laughed. "It's almost funny to see a human try and destroy their saving grace with a stake and a cross."

Esme didn't see the humor. "You must know that the Volturi are dead."

"All except Marcus," Bella whispered. "He was with me."

"Ah," Carlisle frowned. "But Forks _was _one place no one had occupied. It was like a safe house until some vampires joined us. There's almost no place to hide."

"Thank God for Gabriel and Jacob," Alice explained, "or we would've been dead."

"Now," Esme whispered, her pretty face worried, "how have you been?"

I shivered. "We're doing fine, I suppose."

Bella frowned and closed her eyes, biting her lip in frustration. "We need to move," she snapped suddenly, looking at me with fear. "The numbers keep changing; four hundred, three hundred ninety-three, four hundred five…"

"What?"

Alice swallowed and nodded. Both of them opened their minds to me and flashes of vampires filled my head. They couldn't be new breeds, for their self control was evident; they ran past humans without a second glance.

I shook my head coming from under a coma. "Bella?"

She nodded numbly.

_Could you take care of a large amount like that? _I asked her silently, trying to keep it confidential.

_I have no idea,_ she whispered back.

Gabriel came running downstairs with Rosalie and Emmett. "Shit," he groaned. "Shit, shit, SHIT, Bella. Why the hell did you…?"

"Shut up!" she screamed at him. "I thought he was dead!"

"What's going on?" Rosalie demanded. Emmett grinned unevenly at me.

"Hey Eddie."

He shook his head. "We're all going to be dead. We need to get the hell out of here _now_."

Esme jumped slightly. "How far away?"

Alice, Bella, Gabriel, and Patricia tried to calculate.

"With the speed they're moving," Bella choked, "they'll be here in an hour."

"From what direction?" Gabriel asked.

"All directions except west and south," she shook, her eyes growing wide in panic.

"Relax," I whispered, pulling her to me. She hid her face in my chest.

"Bella," Gabriel whispered, "please relax. I'm leaving you in charge. I have to rouse the Volturi and those friends I have been gathering."

"Friends?" she asked softly.

He nodded. "Patricia will stay here; she'll help. Get them as far from here as possible and keep tabs on the messengers. They'll be here sooner."

She nodded, looking on the verge of fainting.

"Also keep tabs on me; I'll be behind you as soon as possible, however if anything does happen to me, send Patricia back. She needs to get the Volturi and my comrades away."

Bella nodded again.

"Guard her," he looked at me with a fixed glare.

We all nodded.

"What about Jacob?" Alice demanded.

Gabriel locked eyes with Patricia, her face turning from playfully annoying to serious. "I might," she whispered before disappearing.

"Good," Gabriel murmured. He checked his wrist watch. "Right on time. Stay close."

Bella looked at him with a pained expression. "Relax," he demanded. "As soon as you loose your cool, it'll happen again."

"No," Bella whimpered. "No."

"I have to go," and he was gone. Bella shook her head, her eyes panicked.

"As soon as Patricia returns…" she whispered.

Patricia came back with Jacob on her back. "Someone take him, please. He's unconscious."

Alice looked surprised. "But…"

"I healed his internal and external wounds," she explained. "The power knocked him unconscious. Just take him, someone please!"

Jasper settled Jake on his back.

"Ready?" Bella asked, shaking.

"Relax," I advised, grabbing her hand and squeezing it.

She shot off and I followed as quickly as I can. Patricia danced way in the front, leading us through the trees in a winding, backtracking method to confuse the enemies.

Everyone was itching with fear. Esme kept visualizing Carlisle getting torn down, while Rosalie was thinking that she'd never see Emmett again after this. Only Alice and Jasper kept cool minds. They thought optimistically and it helped me calm down Bella and me. They knew we were all going to live and they knew that we were going to be fine. I fed these thoughts to Bella and she stopped trembling, the creases on her forehead smoothing.

_I love you_, she whispered in my head.

_I love you too,_ I replied.

_Don't you dare pull any stupid stunts, _she growled now. _I'll kill you._

_Don't you pull any stupid stunts either, Bella Impossible, _I warned.

"Shit," Patricia growled aloud. She stopped short and ripped open her palm. A ribbon of blood flowed from the wound and covered the grass in its vibrant red hue. She rubbed her palm over trees and bushes, trying to bring the vampires into madness.

I wondered why that would be effective if their blood doesn't call.

Instead, I was misled. "Move back," she cried.

We all obeyed.

Patricia closed her eyes and concentrated so hard, her face turned purple and a vein was throbbing in her forehead. A spark ignited, then a full blown flame. Everywhere her blood had touched sparked into a beautiful red fire. It spread from tree to tree, from bush to brush, burning where it touched. A heavenly scent started to emerge that made my mouth water.

"Interesting," Bella whispered under her breath.

"Light it, Bella," Patricia hollered. "I'll show you how."

Bella followed half heartedly. "Go," she demanded us. Then winked. "I'll keep up with you."

I shook my head and she gave me a hard glare. _Be careful. Lead them._

I shook my head and kissed her passionately, throwing my arms over her, pulling her close, not caring who saw. I needed her.

She pulled away with a hard smile and pushed me. "_Go._"

I shot off and they followed me as I ran through the trees following Bella's feed of direction through my mind. She better stay safe.

_**Isabella's Perspective:**_

I ripped open my palm like Patricia had and smothered more trees and bushes like she ordered. "Our blood has some type of property that is extremely flammable," she instructed. "Just order the fire to come as hard as you can."

I nodded and closed my eyes. I wanted that fire. I thought of every ounce of hatred, every ounce of passion, every powerful emotion that had ever marked my soul and poured it into a flame. Instead of a fire, I got an explosion of heat. It knocked both Patricia and I back. Soot covered us from head to toe and she laughed.

"Nice," she giggled.

I checked Gabriel; he was fine, and the messengers were still far back. Patricia grabbed my hand and dropped more of her blood along the path exactly opposite from the way Edward was going. My stomach sunk.

"What's the meaning of this fire," I asked softly.

"Heat intensifies the smell of our blood," she explained. "It leads anyone closer, like a child and something shiny. That's why I asked to you make them leave; they'd lose their minds." Her eyes lowered. "Plus, the fire will attract humans; disgusting as it sounds, they'll have to help distract."

"Ah," I understood, easily lighting more of her blood on fire.

"It'll distract them," she whispered. "Are you keeping them untrackable?"

I nodded, straining to keep everything in check. "What else can we do?"

"Is Gabriel alright?" she asked, closing her eyes and bringing forth the fire.

I nodded with a smile. "He's on his way."

"Good," she whispered. "Let's go."

I ran side-by-side with Patricia, my hand locked in hers with a grin. Quickly, we made it back to Edward, covered in soot and blood. I kissed him quickly and grabbed his hand, running faster. I tried to think of other ways to stop them and a thought occurred. I dropped to the ground and placed a hand to the earth, trying to locate how far away they were.

Patricia laughed. "Good one."

I pressed my ear to the ground and could almost hear their heavy footsteps on the earth. I slammed my fist into the ground and closed my eyes, seeing my damage. The earth had opened on their side, creating a large cavity, about thirty feet deep. I slammed my fist again and it closed on about a hundred of them.

"NICE," Patricia cried in my ear. She gave me a giant hug. "Where'd you learn that one?"

"The desert," I explained dryly, feeling my body try and regain energy. "One of the vamps out there had some party tricks. I adopted them." Edward only stared at me with confusion.

"Your girl's a genius," Patricia praised.

I grinned.

"Could you do that again?" she asked me.

"Could you do that too?" I asked.

She shrugged and laid on the ground.

"Find them," I guided. "Think of the earth as your emotions; what splits you in two?"

She slammed her fist so hard in the ground, she created a dent; on the receiving line, a smaller pit opened and swallowed about twenty. However, they could crawl back out after a long time, same with my pit. But it did distract and did slow them down.

I stood up and continued running, bringing Edward with me. He only shook his head. I quickly fed him everything that happened.

_Whoa, _was all he replied.

I closed my eyes long enough to see Gabriel; he was running in another direction with thirty vampires behind him; some third breeds, some half breeds, most, regular vampires. "He's coming!"

"GOOD!" Patricia screamed from affront of us. "IS JAKE AWAKE?"

"NOT YET," Jasper hollered back.

"HOW MUCH FARTHER?" Emmett asked.

"Until we lose them!" I explained. "Alice, keep tabs on the vampires!"

"I'll try!" she cried, giving me a grin. Up ahead, Patricia was creating pits for our friends down back. She ran diagonal from us, in a completely wrong direction and lit the forest.

"Hurry on!" I ordered everyone. Edward squeezed my head.

_You're doing great, Bella_, he praised, stopping for a second to kiss my shoulder. I smiled grimly and led them farther up to the meeting place. On the other side of the forest, I saw thirty shadows; Gabriel. I ran even faster, forcing the Cullens to top speed.

I ran head on into Gabriel's and hugged his massive head.

_Isabella,_ he greeted through my mind.

I panted and pulled away. "We've distracted them so far," I reported.

_Good_, he grinned a strange wolf-like adaptation. _And_ _I love the methods_.

I flushed with pride.

_This is Isis_, he introduced me to a small, Asian woman with beautiful grey eyes. _She's as quarter_, he explained. _She'll stay by you through this_.

I nodded and smiled. She grinned. "I like the pit effect."

I beamed.

_I can take the wolf_, a half breed insisted nuzzling Jasper's arm. I shook my head.

"Jasper," I called. "Give Jake to Mika."

The Cullens looked slightly bewildered at all of the wolves hanging around. I wondered if they knew I could transform into a wolf, and then decided to put it on the backburner. Who cares what they know if they're dead?

We integrated with Gabriel's people and fell into a strange order. Patricia took some of the fraction breeds to stay in the back and light the fires, while the quarter breeds, including many of the wolves, stayed in the middle, protecting Marcus. The rest of us, including Edward, Alice, and Jasper stayed in front. Alice kept us on page with the vampires so I didn't waste my energy. Jasper ran through battle plans in case we have to confront them, and brainstormed more distractions we might be able to go through. However, Edward was there for me and only me. He kept me relaxed, kept me optimistic.

The ones in front would create my pits while Gabriel and I coached them. We wouldn't use our own power because we needed it in case of a dire situation. We went on like this for so long, running ahead and creating these pits, creating these distracting fires. Eventually, we wound up two states ahead and still going strong.

Good, I thought happily. The only problem is where do we go from here?

"We're good for now," Gabriel sighed, stopping the party. "We need to rest."

I nodded in agreement; I was practically dead on my feet. I was so tired. Being around the Cullen Mansion for so long doing nothing made me fat and lazy; there were times I could zip through continents without a break. Edward scooped me up off the ground and rested me against his chest. Gabriel collapsed next to a tree and fell into a deep slumber, and so did all of the vampires who still required sleep. The halfs ran through the forest catching game to rejuvenate themselves or played in a small stream to lessen the tension. Jake only sat there and stared into space at the sky. Isis stood across from us, an iPod playing in her ears to give us privacy, but she watched with the intensity of a hawk.

Edward stroked my hair and kissed my forehead, humming a familiar tune. I smiled up at him and kissed his lips. "Aren't you going to hunt?"

He shook his head, giving me a quizzical expression. "Aren't you going to sleep?"

I shrugged. "I don't want to miss anything."

"I doubt you will," he looked around.

"I mean with my visions," I tapped his forehead. "It might screw up a whole mass."

"That's not fair," he sighed. "Patricia and Gabriel can also see these things, same as my sister. Why is the burden still on you?"

I looked at the large blue sky. "Because I am more correct in my visions, Edward, that's why," I sighed and yawned.

"Hungry?"

"Not really," I curled against his chest. "What's Gabriel dreaming about?"

"I can't tell," he sighed. "His mind is blocked."

"Oh," I murmured. I looked over at him. Patricia settled besides him, resting her head on his chest. Instead of holding her, or moving towards her, he moved away completely. She rolled away with a frown and laid on the other side of the tree.

"Poor girl," I whispered. "She doesn't understand."

"Understand what?" Edward inquired.

"That his heart doesn't belong to her," I explained lazily. "He can never love her because he loves another."

"Who?"

"Artemis," I swallowed. "My ancestor, Elesmeera's first daughter."

"Ah," he frowned.

"It's very sad. All he had left was Artemis. Shr just disappeared one day," I shook my head. "He found her dead later on with another man."

"Very depressing."

"Then he sold me out," I continued. "He didn't know I was Artemis' great-granddaughter; she never birthed him a child. Years passed and he got over her, settled down with many a female until he found Patricia a few years ago. He _loved_ her until he met me."

"What?" Edward demanded.

"I'm a replica of Artemis, the woman he saw years and years ago. He's infatuated with me not for me, but for Artemis. He understands that, but he can't pull me away," I shook my head. "It can't happen because I belong to someone and even still, I'd never pretend to be someone for him. Never."

Edward growled. "He best not try anything."

I shook my head. "He understands that and he won't. He's bound to Artemis, not me." I shook my head. "Poor Patricia. She tries to hard to pretend that he does love her but he doesn't on that level anyway. He used her to fill a gap."

Patricia looked at Gabriel with loving eyes. She leaned back over next to him and finger combed his hair in an affectionate gesture.

Edward watched with pity in his eyes. "Tell me," he suddenly demanded, looking at me with a frown, "what is next for us?"

"Gabriel is going to try and train me the best I can, teach me all that he knows, then I'm going to hunt her down and…" my voice drifted off and when noticed his incredulous gaze.

"It can't be that simple, Bella," he whispered.

"It won't be simple," I agreed. "It's only in summery, Edward."

"In summery," he echoed in a melancholic voice. Edward pressed against me and gave me a long kiss. It was almost a goodbye kiss, and it made me shake with discomfort; I don't want goodbye. I threw my arms around him and pressed myself hard against him, firmly, as if to tell him that I'm staying with him.

He pulled away out of breath and grinning slightly, finger combing my hair.

"I'm not leaving you," I whispered. "Never."

His forehead creased in scrutiny, his beautiful face flickering with even deeper disbelief. "You'll be Marcus' and Elesmeera's heir, Bella," he explained in a harsh voice. "You don't understand; it's not simply killing her. By the time, this war is over, every human on earth will know of us and they'll fear it. As the daughter of Isabelle and Marcus, as the only heir, you'd have the throne thrust at you. Your duty would have to bring these worlds together, Bella and to oversee them."

"I don't want that," I whispered.

He smiled slightly. "I'm flattered, Bells, but it can't be like that. As sad and as pessimistic as this sounds, I honestly don't believe that there will be a choice."

I glared, slightly appalled and somehow cynically amused. I shook my head sadly. "You're right."

"What?"

"You're not being pessimistic; you're being a realist. There's no choice, there's no point. Why do we even try?" I asked him with a sigh. I locked my gaze with his ocher eyes. "Why do we still fight the inevitable?"

His skillful fingers wound in my hair and pulled my face so close, I could feel the cold air emitting off of him. "Because I love you," he whispered. "And don't you ever forget that."

My hand, shaking for some stupid reason swept the hair out of his gorgeous eyes, ran down his cheek. I could feel the water-works edging on, could feel the pain stabbing me through the heart like a stake. Slowly, he breathed me in, just my breath, cocking his head to form a better fit against my lips, bringing me closer, tempting me, and reminding me _why_ I still fought; for him. I latched my aching mouth onto his and kissed him thoroughly, my hand falling limply on his cheek. His hand wrapped around my small frame and pulled me as close as possible to his body. I pulled away, gasping, my eyes closed, my heart stuttering. Edward kissed both eyelids, the tip of my nose, my cheeks, my earlobes and my chin before returning to my lips. I rested my head on his chest and shook it, trying to clear it.

Edward tensed, suddenly alert. "I have to go," he whispered suddenly. "Carlisle is calling."

I looked at him with alert eyes. "Is there trouble?"

He grinned wickedly. "No, no. Not that type of trouble."

I stared quizzically at him as he slipped from under me. "Stay here," he ordered softly. "Don't you dare pull anything."

"I won't," I assured him, reaching up to kiss his fingers. "I promise."

He smiled thinly and disappeared into the trees, a slight ruffle of the leaves crinkling in the wind the only reminder that he had been through that way. I shook my head and looked at Isis who was still standing there, still watching. I thought it was odd, but then she looked away, bobbing her head along to the loud rock that played. Her fingers trembled, I realized, as if she had some sort of disease.

I looked away politely and gazed at the canopy of trees. My heart was still slamming against my chest, but my head was still crying in alarm. I wanted Edward to realize I wasn't ever going to leave him again; never.

I tried to calm myself; getting this worked out in such a stressful environment equals bad blood. I closed my eyes and meditated for a while, until I had every sense blocked, until I was in my mind.

_**Isabelle's Perspective (Elesmeera): **_

I looked out of the window of the temporary log cabin at the construction site. The building of my fortress was coming along nicely; it would be the first stronghold in my empire. I could taste the bitter-sweet air of change, could feel the adrenaline an _empress _would feel.

Myrah smiled at me, looking at me and seeing nothing. "Is it beautiful, empress?" she asked softly.

I bent down and kissed her full lips. "It _will _be beautiful," I growled. "Now, my servant," I grinned. "Supervise the animals."

She curtsied, sweeping her floor length gown around her as she bustled out of the cabin. I watched her walk proudly, holding her head high even in her blindness. Her strength, unparalleled, shown around her in shimmering black sparkles.

My secret weapon.

I had seen a divine image of that young girl, years before. If John Whitman and his daughter, Angelina were only to give birth to this young woman…

Using my powers of persuasion, I had gotten the man and woman to commit incest, similar to the myth of Aphrodite, all blessed her soul, and the father of beginning, Adonis. They birthed Myrah; a daughter of a werewolf and siren. I stole her in the night and raised her as an assassin until it was time to change her into a quarter breed. Without her eyes, her other senses flourished; her taste, her hearing, her feeling, her sense of smell. I raised her like an assassin until she grew of proper age to be mine. My lover.

I scrutinized her thin frame. She was beautiful, not gorgeous as me or any of my kin, but a plain type of beauty. She certainly wasn't one of my better lovers either. Living through century to century, I had encountered many lovers. None, however, offered as much as this young woman. No, they could not do half of what my Myrah was capable of. They could not drown an entire small island in a matter of minutes; no, they could not fight well enough to even force me to gasp. No. They were simply humors, simply toys.

I gazed upon Myrah. Soon, I would give her an ultimate challenge; Isabella, my daughter generations down. If she does survive, I will kill her; I cannot have any competition. And if she doesn't, a pity; I actually liked this one.

**(This is sort of foreshadowing. Obviously, you can see that Myrah and Bella will eventually have to fight. Rivalry!!)**


	13. Of Hell and it's Demons

**A/N: This chapter gives me food for thought. It's one of the rare things I have written with an adult structure, EX: I have written something that sounds a bit mature. The characters sound maturer…if that's a word, which I doubt because Microsoft Word just underlined it in red. However, this chapter is poorly written at the same time. I lost the character's essences and I also have noticed how I have changed a lot without fixing the dead ends in Black Out. Whatever…Sigh, what is done is done. I'm too lazy to revise. I'm also not happy how I cut things up in this chapter or how I ended it with Isabelle. What took me so long to update is that I've been writing Isabelle's side of the story, well her history and I'm not sure whether to post it as a separate series of one shots or to wait until Electric Shock is written (which wuld make sense, but I can't explain, b/c it'll ruin the end of Power Surge and the point of Electric Shock).**

**Anyway, a few other reasons is because I've been up my own ass with school and boyfriends…sucks. –Sigh-  
Anyway, I'm hoping to update this fic sooner. It's a favorite of mine because it was originally my first fanfiction. Sigh.  
Love you all.  
Bliss**

_**Of Hell and it's Demons**_

_Waste all your time with me  
I know I'm a mess right now  
Don't give up believe  
_**-Armor for Sleep**

I would like to report that since our departure, my life has become less complicated. I would like to report that Elesmeera spontaneously died and my problems disappeared. I would like to report that Isabella, my love and only love, and I were married and lived in a small beach side house.

I wish I could report that, but then I would have to lie and that's a sin. I'm already going to hell for the seduction of an angel, for murdering, for stealing, for numerous other blasphemous reasons; I really don't need to add a few more tallies on my score.

Days passed like years; I'm not sure if a decade passed or a month. Insanity was knocking at my door and the only one who kept is at bay was my sweet, sweet Isabella. However, she was beginning to lose her sanity a bit too, physically and mentally. The strain on her was eventually going to take its toll. Gabriel wasn't making her any better. He would steal my Isabella away from me for about five hours and would intrude into her mind. I'm not sure what he did inside her mind, but after a while, she would start screaming and crying and yelling for mercy. Gabriel would remark that if she paid more attention to the task at hand instead of me, she wouldn't be that weak. Bella would retort with a few choice swears, courtesy of living with Emmett for a month or so, and disappear into the wildlife that surrounded the rain forests of South America, only to reappear an hour or so later, eyes light, and attitude happier.

Alice and Jasper normally were around us, Jasper using his calming ability on whomever he found freaking out, which normally meant Bella and I, while Alice would confirm visions with Isabella or Gabriel. Carlisle and Esme took care of wounds or helped plan strategic attacks against the new born vampires that occupied the northern branch of the rain forest. There were only a few, but they were tricky and increased their numbers from the local villages. Rosalie would talk calmingly to me, her voice full of suppressed pride. She'd sit and just listen to my report of the day and she'd tell me hers, stroking my hair like an older sister. Bella didn't enjoy this part of the day this much. Emmett would fight with me, trying to maintain his annoying spirit, or start competitions with the males, such as racing or fighting or who was smarter. Isabella normally let us play it out, but when the racing came, she would win, me coming in at least a whole minute behind her.

Then came the part of the day where I'd hold her, and kiss her, and assure her that this was going to come to an end, and hum her to sleep in the small apartment building that I would take her to so she could sleep on an actual bed. No one knew what I did, but they had thoughts on where I would take my love. If she was anxious about the next day, I would banish the fears, and if she was excited, I would share in her excitement. If she wanted me, I was hers for her to do with as she wished.

The engagement ring was once again on her finger. She found it one day and claimed it as hers. I asked her what to make of it, but she ignored me and just gazed down at it, and kissed me. "I'm not sure yet," she whispered, stroking a tuft of black hair. "Be patient, my love."

When she would awaken, I would have human food for her to devour, and I would kiss her until she was breathless. She would attempt to seduce me into bed most mornings, but I denied her request and told her to save her strength. She would pout, and I would give in, and the mornings were spent with blissful love making, soft, easy, as if we had no other care in the world. We'd watch television in the nude, remarking on the thoughts the humans had on the various disappearances. The police said it was an all over the world gang, which is doubtful. The scientists have traces of venom and are saying it's a new disease. The religious bible-thumpers believe that their God is clearing the world of those who have sinned. I would share my thoughts with Bella and would share hers. I'd cuddle her against my chest until I knew it was time we should go.

And the day started all over again.

--

Bella stood in the water of the small river, her bright eyes dancing, hair flowing down her back like black, wet, silk, and her pink lips desirable in the warm sun. A shimmery glow surrounded her, the only trace of the vampire sparkle one would gain with their change. She splashed a wave at me.

"Are you a cat?" she teased. "Afraid of the water, my love?"

I grumbled some unintelligible thoughts aloud and glanced nervously at the trees. The camp agreed that Isabella was the most beautiful woman they have ever seen and I know some of those pigs wouldn't think of their necks and try to view Bella while she washed. Her gorgeous, naked skin does not deserve such a crowd of hyenas. She's mine, I thought stubbornly. All mine.

"Come on," she splashed the water again. God, she was tempting me. She dived into the water and appeared closer to me. I couldn't think, as she looked up at me from under her impossibly long lashes, her body screaming for me to touch. A straining in my pants finally won me over. "Please?"

I grumbled some unintelligible thoughts before stripping my clothes and leaving them besides hers. She raised an eyebrow and treaded water to the left, giving me room to jump in. I dived, grabbed her, and pulled her against my chest. "Happy?"

She grinned, eyes still dancing. "Immensely. I almost forgot you sparkle all over," she giggled girlishly and ran her fingers down my chest. Her eyes met mine and I knew I was hers to do with as she wished as usual. Not that I didn't mind. I wanted her so bad right now; we rarely made love while she was at least eighty percent happy and that was the most spectacular love making we could share. Besides, underwater sex sounded erotic.

She nipped at my neck, her hands lying limply on my chest. I purred and kissed her sweet skin in response. Now she purred, the sound reverberating through my skin and straight to my groin. Grabbing on her hair, I pulled and she tilted her back. I devoured the skin of her neck, dominating her. She only laughed and gazed at the clouds overhead. I released her hair and smiled when I noticed how she was floating away. I pounced and we slipped under the water. Her legs twined through mine and she attempted to pull me underneath her, but I was smarter. I slipped away and pressed her harder underneath the waves, pinning her to the water bed. She gasped and I allowed her to resurface, still holding her tightly to my chest. She growled and struggled to get away from me, her eyes playful.

"Don't make me have to beat you up," she growled with a giggle.

"Is that a threat?" I asked, nibbling her bottom lip.

She nodded, and pulled away to kiss me firmly. In that moment of surprise, she slid away through the water. I growled and swam after her, pounced on her, buried myself in her, took her, made her scream and squirm and giggle and moan and beg for me.

We eventually resurfaced from the water, extremely pleased and full of need for each other, for that wasn't enough.

I carried her - she was on my back - to camp. She nipped at my neck, pulled at the collar of my shirt. Emmett chuckled when he saw her scratching at my shirt like a cat wanting to be put down.

"Can't control her, eh?" he asked me with a chuckle.

"Nah, I prefer her wild," I shot back with a wink. Emmett looked at me with a scowl.

_So much better to tease when he was a virgin…_

Bella giggled. "We heard that, Emmett."

_So much better to think when Edward and Bella aren't around…so freakish that they can _both_ read my mind. Well…Edward can't read Bella's and that frustrates the shit out of him. Haha. _

Bella nipped at my neck.

_What an idiot_, she hummed in my mind, pulling my ear into her mouth. _He's just sore because the last time he had sex was two weeks ago._

_You better behave or I'm going to force you to walk, missy_, I warned her when she tightened her legs around me and sucked harder on my ear.

"Oh fine," she whispered softly, the sigh in her voice just a bit too remorseful.

I sighed in response. "Fine; do with me as you will if it makes you happy."

She gleefully continued to suck on my ear, nip at my neck and scratch at my shirt. Bella is such a little demon.

Back to Carlisle I walked, Bella continuing to take advantage of me. Normally, Carlisle was awaiting us; this was the small part of the day where we would exchange information. Instead, he was talking a mile a minute on a small cellular phone. I gave him some privacy and didn't bother attempting to follow the conversation. Instead, I slid the small wet woman on my back into my arms and kissed her.

"Teasing me isn't nice," I murmured, biting her lip. She grinned wickedly, but then attempted to wiggle out of my arms. I sighed and placed her on the ground, nipped her sweet neck and straightened. She glanced over at my sire, eyes narrowing. She winced, reached up, and played with a lock of her hair.

"He's talking to someone named Carmen," she murmured, meeting my eyes. Her previous playful and carefree air changed automatically. "Do you know her?"

"She's our cousin," I clarified. "Of the Denali clan." When Bella shot me a pointed confused smile, I smoothed her hair. "A group of vegetarian vampires that live in Alaska; we once lived with them."

"Aha," she laughed. Gabriel was leaning against a tree, his face stretched in a smile. Patricia angelically stood besides him, lips underneath his chin. He pushed her away slightly, eyes meeting mine.

_Carlisle is attempting to move us up in the confines of Alaska, where I am sure we will be free of the vampires for the moment. Elesmeera is not stupid; we could have been killed ages ago, but this is a game. She is going to try and trap us like rats and then annihilate us one by one. The only flaw in her plan is if one of the mice, Bella, doesn't allow that to happen. We'll go along with her plans for now._

I nodded, trusting his ideas for the most part. Isabella nodded slightly, telling me that she was talking to him through her mind. I didn't say anything, but instead caught Patricia's eye. She flashed me a slightly frown and slid away, creeping through the leaves after some unknown prey. Carlisle slid his phone in his pocket.

"Alaska it is," he murmured. "Now, Gabriel, how do you propose we get there?"

The hybrid laughed. "Elesmeera doesn't care. She's funneling us to Alaska, for whatever symbolism persists there. Hell, she could like polar bears and plans to stitch your flesh with bear fur for her cape. She's not all there," he explained. "And after all these years, she is not going to make everything quick. As insane as she is, she has had time to plan these plans, to think over flaws, and to think over all possibilities. If we show the least bit rebellion to her plans, she will pick up on that automatically; that is what she is looking for, and soon our attempts will be uselessly. Let us follow the road she has given us, lure her into a false sense of security, and then spring. She is dominated by her less sensitive side, her more rash side, conceited; she believes that we are weaker than in actuality. Let her believe that."

Carlisle took in the man's words with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So we can basically waltz up to Alaska without any interruptions?"

Gabriel smiled condescendingly. "I doubt that; there will be some vampires who do not understand what Miss Isabelle is planning and will attempt to take us out. We'll run through the border into the U.S and take some planes separately."

"And what do you think being around humans will resolve?" Bella demanded, her hand gripping mine. "There have been blatant attacks; some on the news even! Being around such humans will probably intensify the danger factor."

Gabriel only smiled. "Good Isabella. Now, what do you plan we should do?"

She paused, meeting my eyes. "False trails?"

"Sounds smart, but whom are you willing to sacrifice?" Gabriel demanded. "For there will eventually be two groups in essence; yours and your protectors, while the rest will make the most obvious route to Alaska."

Bella's grin was too quick. "For starters, I'd love to sacrifice you."

Even with her quip, his smile didn't falter. "Good. Take the stronger and make them create the false trail. Brilliant."

Bella's eye twitched as she winced. "Then whom are you willing to 'sacrifice'?"

His eyes shot towards me absent mindedly and the group growled, Bella vibrating, shaking, her grip on my hand tightening to an envious amount, until I felt immense pain. Her teeth chattered from the effort as she phased in and out; I could feel her anger.

Bella gave a cry that sounded half strangled and ran into the trees, a much louder growl than I thought she could produce echoing throughout the forest. I made a movement to run after her, but Gabriel's smirk stopped me. I whipped around, winded up, and let my fist fly into his face. His head snapped back, and finally he stopped smiling.

"You bastard!" I hollered at him, getting ready for the blow he would surely give me in response. He only took a few steps back, and looked me in the eye.

"I do not wish to fight with you, Edward Cullen," he explained, hand clenching. "For I am sure when I rip that hand from your wrist, Bella would be even more upset with me. But let it be known, if she was not so attached to you, I am sure that you would have been dead from my very hand at this moment."

Carlisle's answering growl was impressive. "And if you touch him, I am sure you will melt in eternal hellfire soon afterwards."

Gabriel shrugged off the threats and turned to Patricia who had returned. She whimpered softly and stroked his cheek, scowling at me. He grabbed her wrist and placed it at her side, walking off into the trees. She followed after him.

"I shall kill him," I scowled, flexing my fist. Anger raged through me. "That pompous…"

Carlisle put a hand on my shoulder, understanding my emotions. "The more you show weakness to him, the more he will use it to manipulate. We do not know what had passed between Isabella and Gabriel telepathically, but I do understand; if it was my wife in that position, I am sure I would have done the same. However…"

"Don't," I pleaded him. "I have enough remorse; I wish I had snapped his neck."

My father nodded, topaz eyes scanning the forests. I plopped down on the ground and played with leaves, knowing that Isabella would come back when she wanted to. Perhaps an hour passed. I suddenly felt way too antsy. I paced back and forth, watching the sun slide across the sky, ominous clouds advancing. Rain.

I mused what Gabriel had said to Bella, angering her so. Rain began to fall slowly. A twig snapping brought me out of my reverie. Esme walked towards me, holding Bella in her arms. She was trembling, eyes tightly closed, and naked. Her form was only hidden in a blanket. Alice stood besides Esme, eyes saddened; she looked as if she was going to cry.

My actions were too calm and smooth for me to understand. I ran over to the women, grabbed Bella into my arms, and searched her body for wounds of some kind.

"She is fine," Esme whispered. "Physically anyway."

"Where was she?" I demanded, slapping myself over and over internally again for letting my love run off like that.

"Passed out on the ground," Alice answered. "She phased and ran off deeper into the forest. Poor girl," she whispered gently. Esme fooled with Bella's hair.

"I don't understand what had passed between them," Esme whispered. "Carlisle tried to explain to me, but…surely something as trivial as his loathing for you would not have triggered such anger. She nearly pulled me in half before she collapsed." It was then I noticed that her long hair was entangled with leaves, her face smudged with dirt, her clothing had claw cuts, exposing the pale of her skin. I winced, closing my eyes in disgust. I should have gone after her.

I did not…like to be around Bella in her wolf form. The fact that she kept that major a secret from me, the fact she could phase, angered me. It only pointed out that I was failing her. I guess that my…prejudice about werewolves still persisted as well. Perhaps that is why I did not go after her. My disgust grew. No matter what form, human, siren, vampire, werewolf, witch, alien, whatever Bella turns into next, I had promised myself that I would always be there for her, promised _Bella_, and as usual, I failed. I hung my head, feeling the emotions of self-loathing swell beneath my eyelids, threatening to fall across Bella's cheek. Oh how weak I was, reduced to tears!

"Do you want me to clean her up?" Alice asked. "I…"

"No," I snapped. "I am capable of caring for her _myself_."

"Edward," Esme sighed, stroking my hair now, "allow us to help. The strain on you is way too much for any normal person, and we understand. I do not hold a grudge against neither you nor Bella. It was an accident, Edward…"

"NO," I nearly hollered, meeting her eyes. They were overbright with her tears, threatening to slide down her face. "Why do you all believe that I am under so much pressure? I DO NOTHING!" I shouted. "NOTHING! Bella is my only duty and I am failing miserably. DO not," I lowered my voice, "do not pity me."

Alice burst into soft sobs, hiding her face in her hands. Her small frame was trembling with tears. Esme wrapped her arms around Alice, holding her against her chest. "Stop being so damn prideful," Esme scolded. "All we want is to help you, that's it! We don't want to steal your Bella from you. We're family, Edward, we're here to help you and you can't continue to pull away from us!"

I ignored her completely and ran off to the small apartment we had rented. Once in civilization, I slid in the shadows, trying to not attract attention. I entered the apartment through the window in the back, not wanting to explain to our neighbors what had happened. I laid Bella on the bed and redressed her in her sleep. She was still shuddering and twisting in the bed after I had finished, moaning my name softly, her voice thick with pain. Once in a while she'd snarl and arch off the bed, her trembles increasing.

When she had finally awoken, I was drowning in regret and disgust and pure hatred. I was a monster. I wanted so terribly bad to apologize to Alice, to Esme, but I couldn't leave Bella alone to awaken in her own regret.

Her eyes flickered open and scrutinized the wall affront of her. Her black hair slid in ripples her face. She pushed it back and rolled onto her stomach, hiding her face in the pillows. I placed my hand on the small of her back and she shivered.

"Edward…" she began, voice wavering. "I have been…I…please do not forgive me. I was…wrong."

I kissed her bare back until it was covered in her silk pajama top. "I always forgive you Bella. Forgive me for not going after you, forgive me for being prejudiced against your form, forgive me for being selfish…"

"I always forgive you," she whispered, "because there is never anything to forgive."

I turned her onto her back. "Tell me what lies he had corrupted your tranquility with."

She growled under her breath, her face tightening. "He did not shield his thoughts from me; his mind was too quick at work to remember my uncanny abilities, the fact I do not need to try to access his thoughts because of our…connection."

I massaged the skin under sweet eye. "Tell me."

"He was…" her voice died off in a serious of snarls. "He was planning your death. If you did go with him, he could accidentally kill you, blame it on a new born, and get away with it too." She was gone from my arms almost immediately, standing by the wall trembling. Her whole body was shaking, about to phase, when she suddenly stopped. Her hand was all that continued to shake. "I will kill him, kill them both."

"Both?" I questioned.

"Patricia," she scowled. I wrapped my arms around the beautiful woman nearly in tears. She sobbed for a moment. "Esme must hate me. I am so sorry, I am so sorry," she continued her mantra, sobbing into my chest.

"Oh Bella, my sweet, sweet, Isabella," I whispered, kissing her hair. "My sweet, sweet Isabella." I rocked her back and forth, kissing her forehead, all the while remembering what Esme had said earlier.

_Power Surge x Power Surge x Power Surge_

Alaskan air whipped my hair in my eyes, restraining my sight to my feet crunching in the snow. I attempted to pull the strands out of my eyes, but the strong winds were persistent. The hybrids around me shivered, teeth chattering, moans of reluctance to continue sounding between the hollering winds.

No wonder I hate Alaska.

Alaska was never my favorite place to be around. The Denali Clan, as gracious and as close to Carlisle as they were, misunderstood our simple life-style. The three Scandinavian single women, Tanya and her sisters Kate and Irina, have lived a long live of solitude, living off of the jealously they had of Carmen and Eleazar. They loathed that Carmen had a stable relationship while they had nothing. Recently, Irina had fallen for Laurent before he attempted to revenge James. Her loathing that we had killed her chance at happiness had me doubting going to Alaska was wise, but there was truly no where else to turn. I also doubt Bella would like the Denali clan. I couldn't help but grin to myself as I thought of the strawberry-blonde Tanya, awaiting me. My sweet Bella was jealous when I paid too much attention to Rosalie; for her to be subjected to Tanya would cause the envy to flow. She is incredibly adorable when she's jealous.

I smiled over at Bella ruefully. She didn't answer with her normal heartbreaking smile. Instead, she flashed me a tired expression. Her eyes were exhausted, her body walking a bouncy jog to keep up. Somehow, we had dwindled to the back of the group. She was also thoroughly chilled, her face reddened from the smarting wind, skin tinged blue from the cold, courtesy of spending many a day on the warm equator, playing in the sun. Thoughtlessly, I swept Bella off her feet before she fell face first in a snow drift, and cuddled her against my chest, wishing that I was a normal temperature to warm her. I massaged feeling into her cold skin. Her eyes snapped shut and she hid her face in my chest, shivering so violently I vibrated along with her.

I looked up, pushing away hair from my eyes, and gazed longingly at the house appearing in the distance. I wondered briefly if it was my imagination, but rejoiced. The party did as well, running to meet the house. Cries of relief sounded around me. I grinned, nipped at Bella's ear. "My love, we're here."

She perked up, lips tightening and eyes flashing brighter. She seemed faint in my arms and fear raced through me. "Bella, stay with me love," I warned her.

"I'm tired, Edward. I can't die from extreme cold; relax," she cooed, lips in a smile now.

"Don't scare me like that," I warned her. I ran through the door immediately, not stopping to meet the family allowing us to stay. Instead, I ran Bella straight to the bedroom I once occupied. I laid her on the bed, kindled a flame in the fireplace, and started a warm bath for her, cranking the heat as hot as it could go. While the water ran, I undressed her. Bella helped slightly, her eyes nearly sliding shut.

"C'mon, silly goose," I sighed, helping her into the bath. She sighed at the warmth, and slid underneath the waves. I sat on the flood and hid my face in my hands, sighing as well. Knowing that we were safe, even for the moment, was refreshing. I gazed up at my sweet Bella; she was knocked out, nearly sliding underneath the water. I shook my head with a laugh, picked her up and tried to dry her to the best of my ability. Her eyes snapped open.

"Oh God, Edward I'm sorry," she yawned, trying to snatch the towel from my arms. I shook my head at her.

"Don't worry about it," I whispered against her pale lips. "It's a man's job to take care of the love of his life."

She shook her head, looking suddenly wary. "That's the type of mentality that ends up making a lot of men lonely these days. I can take care of myself."

My eyebrows shot up and I stared at her in confusion. "Bella, relax my love. You are tired. I understand that you are a strong woman and don't need to depend on me as much, but indulge me."

Her lazy eyes scanned mine in confusion before continuing to wring out her long hair. I shook my head at her, stubborn girl, and looked through the draws, finding some clothes I had left behind. Instead, I found a pair of pajamas on the bed; probably from Alice. I thanked her internally and returned to the beautiful, partially wet girl swaying from sleep deprivation in the doorway. Her beauty was astounding. She stood, half naked, in the darkened room, the only light coming from the raging fire. It licked her body, nearly causing a reflection on her translucent skin. Her smoldering eyes met mine, obviously knowing my hesitation. With a sleepy smile, she dropped her towel. I shook my head at the glory of her body. Oh how she tempts me so. Her skin, luminescent in the dull light, yearned to be touched, kissed, licked, ravaged.

I bit my tongue from speaking my thoughts, my needs to her, my body wanting oh so very much. I wondered if it was Bella's influence that was spurring me on, for her cat that got the canary smile suggested as much. But then I thought of fickle Jasper; he was intent on paying me back for throwing him in a snow drift.

I inhaled; God her scent was intensified when she was wet, from cum or water and this was really painful now. With quick, unsure steps, I reached her, and gave her the clothes in my hands. Bella smiled, eyes closing briefly.

"Your arousal is distracting," she murmured. I turned away, knowing that if I could blush, my face would redden in intense embarrassment. She flashed a flawless grin at me, and quickly dressed, was in the bed, and sound asleep before I could form a coherent thought.

I watched her sleep for a moment, but the need for her was drowning me out. I felt disgusted with myself, trying to seduce something so pure. _Pure_, I thought to myself, scoffing. _What she does with her tongue is not pure in any shape or form._ I was nearly insane, thinking of those soft, pale lips biting, sucking, pulling, ravaging the very part of my anatomy that yearned for such scandalous actions. My eyes fell to the ring glistening on her finger.

Staring at the ring caused another wave of guilt, so I walked out of the room. Bella's breath hitched every so slightly; she was acutely aware of my presence, which I have noticed in our travels here (which took a few weeks of backtracking). My presence away from her, even for a minute or a few feet or rooms away caused a disturbance in her peace.

I ran down the stairs, finding the rooms full of hybrids shivering under small blankets, holding each other for warmth in naked forms. Demetri was such a disgusting pig, staring at the women with nearly death temperatures who held each other to form heat. This was basically soft core porn for him. Carmen smiled at me as she passed out sweatshirts and pants.

_I expected more_, she laughed in her head. I grinned. Tanya was busy lighting the fires in the places, while Irina made tea for as many guests as possible; wondering what was in the bag before slipping the contents in the cup. I snickered.

"Edward!" a voice called. Alice bobbed up to me and hid her face in my chest. I embraced her tightly. _This blindness is annoying me!_ She screamed in my head. The fact that the hybrids were part werewolf ruined her visions of our future, Elesmeera was blanked out, and the armies of new borns kept blinking in and out of her sight. Gabriel's perpetual images were ticking her off; what he could see and she couldn't made her angrier. I kissed the top of her inky head.

"Relax," I whispered. "In a way being blind is; learning how to work around your visions will strengthen you."

She punched my gut, flashing a whiny glare. Her eyes were over bright with tears. "I can't even see Bella anymore, unless you two are messing around! It's maddening! Every time I assume that the vision might be vital, you're throwing her on the bed, or the ground, or against the wall…!" she stopped speaking, eyes narrowing. "Speaking of which, this isn't our house and we're in the middle of a war. You two aren't newly weds…"

I hissed under my breath. "You don't understand. I've been…a virgin for so many years, and then I had to be with Bella, with her seductive frame and beautiful eyes, and now we can do whatever we want without rules or boundaries. For the love of God, unlike you, I can't tell the future. Tomorrow might be the last day I will have her," my voice dropped. "I love her, and I need her to understand that I love her. Carpe Dieum!"

Alice scowled, but internally, she knew I was right. "Well, keep it down some."

I shook my head at her, a sigh passing my lips. I looked over at my brother, Emmett, who was holding Rosalie close. He met my eyes, a brow arching.

_How's Bella?_

I shrugged and gave him a frown. He made what he wanted with that. Rosalie smiled at me, blowing a kiss. Carlisle sat at the kitchen table reading the Alaskan news paper. The headline read: **AS DEATH RATES RAISE WORLD WIDE, WHERE ARE WE TO TURN? **

"That bad?" I questioned.

He nodded with a groan, hiding his face in his hands. "In Seattle alone," he paused, "there have been fifty unsolved homicides in the timeframe of _two-days_," he emphasized.

Esme wrapped her arms around her husband, burying her face in his shoulder. _My poor, poor husband_, she thought rapidly. _These deaths and being unable to help them is killing him so. _She kissed underneath his jaw and straightened, softly petting the top of his head soothingly. Eleazar's eyes caught mine. He read the thoughts behind my expression, frowned, and then straightened.

_I must apologize ahead of time for the disgusting behavior of Tanya and Irina. We warned them both after allowing your party to find refuge in this home. However, they are both blinded by their infatuations. _

"Have we not all have done something foolish in the name of love?" I asked under my breath. "There is nothing to apologize for, my friend."

He smiled and clapped me on the shoulder. "Thank you; I am glad that you have remained faith in your cousins."

I chuckled. "Family is still family, even though there are…spats in the relationship. I am glad that you are willing to risk your immortality for our cause."

"_Our_ cause," he corrected with a grin. "This is a problem for the Earth, not individuals. Together, we are stronger."

"Together," I agreed. Eleazar gave me another sharp see-through, reading my expression before meeting his wife. Irina slid in instead, cursing under her breath.

"I made the tea wrong," she muttered, draining the liquid. "Apparently, you don't take out the tea grinds from the packet. How would _I_ know, I haven't made tea since in a few hundred years."

Esme gave a musical laugh and helped clean out the twelve mugs. Irina attempted to wipe the dishes, but instead I grabbed her elbow gently. "Please," I said smoothly, towing her to the table. "Allow me." I pulled a chair out for her, a second nature action, and waited until she sat. She shot me a bewildered gaze, yet she was wary. I wasn't fooling her with my gentleman actions; she loathed me. Because of my love for Bella, because of my deep need for her, her sweet Laurent died.

I wiped the china and placed them where they belonged. Eleazar smiled chillingly at me. _Thank you, though it has done nothing more than give reasoning for Irina to loathe you more. I am afraid that her revenge will be taken more out on Miss Isabella than on you. _I smiled at him and he nodded. _I understand, Edward, and I am glad that you are ready to protect Bella. I have heard rumors that she cannot control her anger and I hope that it will not resolve in fighting. We have enough worries_. Something on my face answered for me. _I understand you wish to control her, but she is not tame; she is 'wild' for a lack of a better adjective. _I nodded. _Please, just remind her that Irina's emotions are petty and not to worry about her. I am sure you can take care of yourself against Irina._ I nodded again. _However, do not be over confident. Tanya will not allow Irina to touch a hair on your head, but I am sure they would not think otherwise against Isabella._ Once again, he read my expression. _Do not fear; I will try my best to control my daughters._

"Thank you," I added under my breath. He smiled and turned to Carlisle, whom was still staring disgustingly at the headline. He clapped his brother on his shoulder.

"Do not worry, my friend. As long as we remain faith, we shall rid this world of her evil."

They fell deep into their conversation. I smiled at Esme and she smiled back. I am glad that she had forgiven me so. I walked out of the kitchen and right into Jasper. He met my eyes.

_Patricia assures that the others will be here soon_, he informed me, looking over at the girl salsa dancing as if she had no care in the world. Her partner, Isis, met every twist and thrust with complicated footwork. It was nearly flawless. Ballroom dance had been a passion of mine; however I was more interested in the classical dances, such as the waltz or the foxtrot. Their footwork brought out envy. _They dance well_, Jasper commented, meeting my gaze. _Or are you more interested in the women themselves?_

I growled and turned my attention back to Jasper. "Do not be foolish, my brother."

He crossed his arms over his chest. _How is the future Mrs. Mason?_

"She had passed out the moment I laid her on the bed," I answered.

_That is not what I had meant,_ he retorted. _I am asking quite slyly about your private relationship._

I scowled, unable to meet his eyes. "We are fine."

_I doubt it. The feelings exuded when you are around each other are curious. _

"She and I are doing as well as any other couple in this predicament would be," I answered softly. "Confused, distorted, and guilt stricken."

Jasper sighed, looking at Patricia again. _She acts as if the world means very little._

"To her it does," I replied. Jasper chuckled and walked off to find his wife. The eight other some-odd hybrids were cuddled around the fire, either sleeping of rocking back and forth to bring warmth into their bones. The severe difference between the warmth of South America and Alaska had caused some sort of snap in their defense systems. They shivered together, one fighting severe hypothermia. Carmen called Carlisle into the room and they tried to heal the dying hybrid. I also attempted, but instead, she fell over, convulsed and died. The rest of the party gazed in horror. One of the men burst into tears, crying out to his Samantha. My heart bled for him.

"No!" he shouted as Carmen attempted to move the corpse. He tried to pull off her hands from Samantha's small frame.

Jasper walked into the room, his influence quickly sliding over us all. A wave of strong, artificial calm overtook the emotions once residing. The vampire continued to sob over Samantha's frame, holding her tightly against his chest. I yearned to grab my Bella and check if she had such symptoms, but I was frozen, staring at the couple on the floor. Isabella flounced down the stairs and past me, as if she had heard my emotions. She fell to the floor next to the vampire and the dead young woman.

"Oh Samantha," Bella sighed, cupping the girls cheek. The vampire growled and Bella shot him a nasty glare. "Be quiet Jack. She's not dead."

Carlisle looked at her through narrowed eyes, his lips tightening. _If she is doing what I think she is, then this is going to be the most spectacular moment of my life._

Oblivious, I stood there in silence. Bella whispered in the girl's ears, too low for me to heard, tears sliding down her face. "Poor, poor girl," she mumbled. Bella brushed her lips across Samantha's forehead and held the girl against her chest. Bella's eyes closed and a slight shiver rippled through her body. I watched in amazement as Samantha drew in a breath and opened her eyes, looking around in amazement. Jack looked faint, as did Bella. I grabbed my wife, no Bella, and pulled her against my chest. She shuddered once more, fighting to remain consciousness. I wrapped my arms around her, kissed the top of her head. Samantha sat up and scratched the back of her head looking as if she had just woken up. Jack, still in surprise, took her hand. She laughed at his expression. He nearly pounced atop her with kisses and cries of dedication, tears running shamelessly down his face. The other hybrids stared at the woman in my arms with a mix of envious confusion and amazement. Carlisle stared at the couple enviously, his mind swirling with thoughts of how good she could be for a hospital while Esme was sobbing with relief and joy in her husband's chest. Jasper, overwhelmed with emotion, left the room.

I carried Bella back to her bed, but she didn't fall asleep. She sat there, staring motionlessly at the wall. "He loved her so very much," she whispered. I kissed her lips.

"Did I ever tell you you're an amazing woman?"

She shook her head. "And she loved him so much. Is it bad that I acted upon their selfishness?"

I gazed at her with confusion.

"Is it bad that I had tipped fate in their favor?" she elaborated. "I had seen her death beforehand; I knew she was going to die. Gabriel told me that it was her fate and to stay out of it, but I couldn't let her die from such a petty cause. Hypothermia," she rolled her eyes.

I growled under my breath. "Being able to save a life without repercussions is amazing, Bella. Do not let Gabriel hide that ability from you."

"So I am right for interfering with fate?" she asked gently. I paused and looked at her face. She was biting her lip, nearly breaking the skin. I knelt before her and tilted her face up to meet mine.

"Bella," I whispered. "There is nothing wrong with saving a life."

Her lips puckered as if she had sucked on something sour and she looked away. "Hmm, Edward?"

I brushed my fingers over her collarbone, watching the goosebumps that rose on her pale skin. "Yes?"

"Do you think I'm going to hell?"

I nipped her collarbone. "Where would you get that idea?"

"Because I'm constantly denying fate," she whispered softly. "Because I have at least done all of the sins. I've killed, I've lied, I've coveted what was never mine…"

"Coveted what?"

Her answering laugh was callous. "You."

I nipped her neck. "You can't covet what has already been yours since the moment of creation. Bella, I have always and will always be yours. And if you are hell-bound, then surely God is off his rocker."

She smiled at me, eyes unable to meet mine. "Edward, I'm serious."

"As am I," I whispered. "Bella, there is no way in hell," I paused, unable to stop from grinning. "Let me rephrase. There is no way God could ever let such a pure, beautiful, thoughtless, selfless creature be doomed to eternal hellfire."

She kissed my lips gently and slid away under the sheets. "Lie with me."

I did as demanded, hiding my face in her shoulder. We lay like that until Jack busted into our room. He pounced upon Bella and covered her face in delicate kisses, thanking her on every other breath. It got so rigorous that I growled and had to push him off.

"Thank you," he cried. "You are the daughter of God, Isabella," he continued. "Heaven has sent us another messiah!"

Bella gazed stricken at the vampire as he kissed her feet repeatedly. "Get out of my room!" I shouted at the vampire, feeling Bella's discomfort in waves. Jack looked at me before disappearing from the room.

She gazed at her feet. "He loves her," her voice cracked. "Oh how he loves her."

"Not a forth of how I love you," I whispered.

Her face cringed. "Edward, please."

_Power Surge x Power Surge x Power Surge_

Gabriel had warned us that it would take him and the rest a while to meet us in Alaska; however, I wasn't sure how long it would take. In our freedom, boredom presented itself. Bella normally would meditate - an easy escape from the wondering hybrids around her. After what had happened with Samantha, they all seemed to believe Bella was heaven sent, which made me wonder what Gabriel had told them before hand. I wondered if he told them the whole truth, but something made me think otherwise.

The one thing I must admit about this boredom is that it gives me a lot of time with my Bella. And believe me, this freedom is amazing. Day after day, a constant supply of Bella; Bella smiling, Bella laughing, Bella staring pointedly at something dumb on television, Bella moaning gently, Bella whispering dirty things, Bella embarrassed because she dropped jam on her chest, Bella giggling as I lick jam off, Bella sighing as I vomit jam later.

I wish that these days would never end, though I would prefer the lack of jam. I tried to visualize how our life _could_ be if there wasn't this constant danger. Somehow, it was easy; Bella and I, beach front property, living peacefully for everyday and never wondering what tomorrow would bring. I could imagine going to high school for the rest of my existence with her, learning the same things over and over again and somehow never getting bored, skipping school on blood testing day to relax in my Volvo, listening to DeBussy. Seemed perfect. Being able to give her all the pleasure she wanted, whenever she wanted, without the constant mood killer of thoughts from downstairs. I prayed, if there was a God up there, he would forgive me and let us live through this.

Somehow, I don't think God could give a damn about my happiness, even though my happiness was basically the joy of my Bella.

As the days progressed, as did my imagination. I thought about weddings and honeymoons, because surely, marrying Bella once would never suffice. And as those thoughts began to bloom, they somehow transformed into the "if's". "If" Bella and I were human, we could have a daughter, and she would have Bella's beautiful eyes and my musical talent…and a little boy who would be stubborn and witty, just like Isabella.

Bella seemed to notice the change in my attitude, from realistic to dreamer over the few days. She attempted to soothe my thoughts but the more I thought, the more I wanted these fantasies to come true and soon I was under in depression.

"Oh Edward," Bella sighed one night, hiding her face in my neck. "Your mind is going to drive me insane."

"Then stop reading it," I had snapped thoughtlessly. I had also ignored her the rest of the night, reducing her to tears. It took me until the morning to get over my pride and apologize.

Also, I realized how sensitive Bella still is. Just a glare from Tanya brought tears to Bella's eyes. "You should be with her," she explained once. "Because she's healthier for you than I am; she can give you things I can't." I'm sure Tanya heard that, for the next day she made a show of telling Irina how Bella was possibly the worst thing for me. I nearly ripped out her throat.

Irina didn't bother Bella as much, though she did put things in perspective. "Everyone I've killed," Bella whispered, "had a family, a lover, a friend, someone who cared, and I've hurt them."

I would be lying if I denied feeling a strange sense of relief when Gabriel returned. He suffered a great loss; three hybrids have died, a vampire burned, and Jake once again, was injured. The dog seemed proud of his broken arm, however, as he limped over to Bella and nuzzled her arm.

She laughed, the sound a tinkling of bells. "Jacob, I doubt Carlisle can help you in this form; he's not a veterinarian."

Gabriel found out about the stunt Bella had pulled with Samantha and his anger was evident. He kept silent though, and tried to ignore the continuous thoughts erupting from the party about Isabella's amazing abilities, how she was destined to free the world from the devil's spawn. Who knew that these people were so religious? Some where, others thought along the lines of Bella being the daughter of Adonis and Aphrodite. I thought the polytheistic religion had died out ages ago.

Apparently, I was wrong.

The small amount of sirens still sacrificed their blood their blood to their gods in silence, and drank to their Dionysus. They prayed nightly to the goddess Aphrodite. It was quite amazing in actuality. I also noticed how they all wore that pendent around their neck; the pentacle seemed to be a sign of their worship. One must have given Bella her necklace back, because she wore it. Alec would sit on her lap and fool with it. Their relationship disturbed me; she looked at him as a mother would to a child and we would look at her with the same. Marcus explained that their relationship is natural.

It was sort of disgusting to watch her rock him back and forth like a child, to watch her hum her lullaby to him as if he could sleep. This disgusting little pig. Jane did not agree with her coddling of Alec either; she thought it was simply sickening.

Felix and Demetri found each other once more and were almost inseparable. Emmett wormed in-between them and they became a trio, walking around high and mighty with Rosalie under their bulky arms as if she was a trophy. It was nearly comical how the camp somehow separated. My family, except for Emmett and Rose, kept to ourselves with Eleazar and Carmen. Kate, Irina, and Tanya created their own group. Isis, Patricia and Gabriel created another. The hybrids separated into a small group of nine, the vampires into their group of four, the two sirens and the two wolves into their group. The Volturi guard and Marcus finalized the last clique.

It was Bella who bounced effortlessly between the groups of separated immortals. One day she would focus on our family, the next she would wedge herself between Rosalie and Demetri and laugh the day away. She would sacrifice her blood with the sirens and wrestle with Alejandro, a werewolf, and pet Jacob like a dog. She would practice with Gabriel and talk strategy with the Volturi. She could even talk to Kate as if they knew each other for ever, remarking on the childishness of her sisters.

My Bella is a chameleon in essence.

_Power Surge x Power Surge x Power Surge_

**Isabelle of Italia **

(Isabelle, or Elesmeera's perspective will all be in flashbacks, like the last one. Please don't hate me for making it confusing)

I looked over the grounds of Volterra, feeling a strange mix of emotions swell underneath my chestbone. The trees cast ominous shadows over the rubble of a once adored castle, the darkness a welcome. My eyes met the moon, which hung low in a crescent arc, the glimmer of stars sparkling besides it. It had been in this very position the first day I had arrived at Volterra castle. Apollo had never seen such a crowd of people awaiting his master; he bucked and ran, dropping me on my bottom. Marcus had laughed and smiled, helping up his future queen as if it was a normal occurrence.

"_Do not be afraid; I'm sure your people have a tendency to bite more than mine_."

My feet followed its own accord as I drifted over to the southern stretch of rubble, to the balcony I had once climbed in and out of rebelliously for midnight encounters under the stars. I remembered stealing kisses behind Lady Greene's back, afraid she would scold me for etiquette. I remembered teaching Marcus how to shoot an arrow in a way none could avoid.

Myrah's voice helped me out of my reverie. "My Queen," she whispered softly. "The western unit has been finished."

"_Bené_," I chirped, clapping excitedly. Myrah grinned in her blindness. "Now tell me, where is my daughter?"

Her smile faltered. "Isabella is currently in Egypt," she answered. Her hand unconsciously gripped mine. "Do you wish to see?"

"Síc," my flawless voice responded, the Latin 'yes' second nature. Myrah's lips tightened and she closed her eyes, dispersing her memory; it twisted into mine and became a far away thought, a pebble in a vat of gems. I could see my daughter, her wolf form lithe, nearly a cat, sliding through the sand. As quickly as the memory came to me, it promptly disappeared.

"Tell me," I whispered, "why is that she is by herself?"

"Gabriel," Myrah answered underneath a hiss. "He has made things difficult with our heroine."

"Elaborate," I demanded.

"You know of her connection to the vampire, Edwin-,"

"Edward," I corrected smoothly.

"Gabriel has informed her that he had died, though it is a lie; he is trying to detach her from all the reasons she will not fight back, making this harder for you, my queen!" she explained, voice vehement. I tilted Myrah's face towards mine.

"Let him," I whispered. "The more strain Isabella's emotions are under the more she will be susceptible to a comatose. I am sure that showing her the evil of a heart will bring her towards my standing slowly, Myrah. Do not worry; there is much I still have to fight her with."

Myrah's eyebrows knit together. "I do not wish for there to be harm impacted upon you, faulted by my lack of protection."

I kissed Myrah's pouting lips and then pat her head. "Do not worry about me, my Myrah. I shall be fine."

Myrah's eyebrows wobbled but she didn't continue. Instead, despite my normal demands that she only touch when I ask her to touch, she kissed me back, forcefully. I pushed her away and she fell into the dirt. Her eyes met mine and she instantly understood the rules and boundaries she had crossed. Her eyes welled up with tears and she muttered apologies. I ignored her and walked past towards where the ballroom once was. I could visualize my Marcus; oh how I lost him so! My love and only love…

My mind shied away from Marcus in anger. He betrayed me, my sensible part argued. He took my love for him and slapped me with it. I gazed over at Myrah who was sitting on the ground, mud crusting on her skirts, and trying not to cry. A sense of grim satisfaction overwhelmed me; I couldn't help but smile at her weakness. Her tears meant she loved me enough to be hurt by me.

I tried not to think of myself as cruel as I walked away from my young lover, as I seduced a young werewolf into sex before snapping his neck; he was the reason the southern wall was delayed.


	14. Search and Destroy

**HOWDY! I be back from a long hiatus. This chapter is wicked long and sort of rushed but hopefully worth the while =]  
I was attempting to deal with a lot of shit on my plate – that guy I hung out in cemeteries turned out to be a douche bag and it took me a while to fix my life up after that. Anyway…read…review…etc….  
=]**

**NOTE:  
****Latin: -STERCUM- means shit =]  
****Italian:  
ONE: I am in anguish over you. No matter how much power you have, or think that you have...god, I am not even sure there are limits to you! However boundless your power may be, your body may not be able to keep up. I am afraid you will pain yourself by continuing in such a way. Please…  
TWO: I end this now. Goodbye, Isabella.**

_**Search and Destroy**_

_Tonight this is war  
Allegiance of faith to the dead and shallow  
I remember your kiss  
Now it's burned all in grey across my tortured lips  
Silently cast a shadow  
Let these gates hear the crash and the scorn of two  
lost lovers  
So kiss the girl, let the games begin with  
broken arrows  
-_**I am Ghost**

**Bella:  
**Gabriel locked his hands behind his back and slowly walked around the room, appraising the area with bleak eyes. His lips sloped in a half hearted grin, his mind twisting rapidly under the thick skull.

"I have heard the rumors _Isa_bella," he explained rapidly. His speech was somehow jumbled with a thousand different accents on constants and vowels, in an almost alien form. "You brought back a vampire into the world of the living. _Stercum_! What were you thinking?"

I lowered my eyes. "I don't understand why you're complaining about this…"

Two white hands pulled me into an embrace. Shocked, I stood there, taking in his warmth – it was strangely comforting, as if he was apart of memories distant. Images of his smiling face, one without cynicism raced before my eyes in an uncomfortable disarray.

"_Sono nell'angoscia sopra lei. Non importa quanto potere che lei ha, o pensa che lei abbia. ..god, sono neanche sicuro ci sono dei limiti a lei! Comunque sconfinato il suo potere potrebbe essere, il suo corpo non potrebbe poter mantenere. L'ho paura te stesso addolorerà continuando in tale maniera. __Per favore..."_

His voice was entrancing with a perfect accent. The words fell upon me with the fluidity of rain, soft and rounded, the words sliding off the tongue like butter. However, the meanings caused blanks in my mind.

Gabriel released me, looking into my eyes with a cringing expression. Silver orbs scrutinized me with a glare. "In other words," his voice, the perfect English returned and a coolness returned as well, "don't do anything you don't understand."

I scrutinized him back, perhaps even a glare. "In other words," I whispered, "don't do anything _you_ don't understand."

He sighed. "Isabella, curiosity killed the cat…"

"Satisfaction brought it back," I growled under my breath.

"And made it _Elesmeera_," he finished. Words couldn't form an argument. _"Finisco quest'ora. Arrivederci, Isabella_." As if to show off his non-ignorance of magic, he disappeared in a ripple of air.

I rested my head in my hands and collapsed onto the sofa, sinking into the red depths. Every day it seemed that some inevitable danger was constantly being delayed. And I'm not quite sure how to handle that…

_Power Surge x Power Surge x Power Surge_

_**Edward  
**_Daily, Bella became more medieval. She took to wearing gowns in her semi-peaceful stay at Denali and spoke in an almost regal air. When her head wasn't glued together with a small cluster of sirens planning out the destruction and overthrow of Elesmeera, she was dancing around the room flaunting her power. It was strange, how once she was so afraid of what she could do and now embraced it with an odd fervor.

Personally, I concluded that after she realized what good she could achieve with her powers, the overwhelming dread she normally faced deteriorated. The way she could conduct her powers flawlessly, with happiness and lightness made me smile. It was as if she was human, before she was somehow warped into a world she didn't belong.

"I don't believe that she is genuine," Carlisle said solemnly when I had told him of my joy. "There's a reaction that people have a tendency to have in the worst of situations – to put on a smiling face and pretend for the sake of everyone else that the world is not in shambles at their feet. It seems that this is Isabella's plan of attack."

I shook my head in a quiet argument.

"It does seem that her happiness is genuine," Esme mused softly, her arms draped around Carlisle in a relaxed embrace, "yet her hair is still black…"

"What does that supposed to mean?" I asked in confusion. Alice decided to chime in this time with her voice ringing in my head.

_It means that she isn't as gleeful as you might have assumed._

"But what does her hair color have in relation to her mood? Since when has this developed?" Rosalie asked.

I glanced out of my reverie and realized the rest of the family had appeared. It was rare to have a conference and it was even rarer to have us all in the same room. I was shocked to realize that Jasper's face took so long to register, and even more shocked to find out that the members of my family, however loved and cherished they were in my heart, didn't seem the backbone in my life anymore. With an odd taste of disgust in my mouth, I concluded how much Isabella meant to me in my life.

"I'm not sure?" Jasper mumbled. "However, I can tell her mood and unless she's suddenly learned how to fake it to me, which is something she's _never_ been able to do, she is pretty happy."

Emmett laughed. "I haven't seen little sister so carefree in a while. Stop over thinking it. And besides, Edward sees her more often then we do. I'm sure his little pessimistic attitude would pick up depression signals from Bella."

Rosalie smacked her husband lightly on his crown, eyes flittering over to Alice. The smaller girl smiled brightly in a strange understanding the two girls had. I only raised an eyebrow.

"Edward's just glad that Bella isn't tackling him into bed all the time anymore," Alice said frankly, her eyes mischievous. Carlisle's lips tightened with laughter, and Esme shook her head.

"Intimacy remains behind closed doors," our mother reminded us, "and neither should we joke about it. It is a private affair that remains in the bedroom."

"When was the last time they actually _did_ it in a bedroom?" Emmett exclaimed. "Even Rose and I were never _that_ adventurous!"

I rolled my eyes in response and walked away from the small group of immortals. Bella was with the dogs, I realized almost the moment I saw her. She smelled distinctly of the animals – of strong wood and fur, an overwhelming and sour stench. She grinned and gave me a half wave.

_Good afternoon, love, _she sang through my mind. Perhaps it was the illusion of her magic, or the illusion I created with my mind, but almost realistically, I could feel her lips by my ear. The ghost lips traveled gently down my ear to my chin and finally to my lips as I stood frozen. Bella was still moving, eyes glittering madly before running upstairs. With a flick of her wrist before disappearing out of view, the illusion ended.

Isis meditated in a small corner of the room, her hands locked in Patricia's. Between them, a small crystal glowed with their combined powers. I only raised an eyebrow at their power and walked away, rejoining a small group of vampires. The three of them were lounging on the couch, watching television with bored eyes.

"How many more reruns of 'I love Lucy' am I going to be subjected to watch?!" a voice not belonging to the three of them growled in outrage. I turned my head slightly to the fuming Jeffery Blake – his red eyes flashed impatiently. "I hate this place – why did I even fucking come?!"

The strange vampire's face smoothed out of its rage and suddenly he became another person entirely. "I'm sorry for that," he amended. "It's just I can't seem to think in this place."

I watched his ministrations dully – I was used to his extreme mood-swings. The vampire was never anything more interesting then a casual bother – his mind was too complex for even me to decode. Eleazar had tried to make a study out of the vampire, but when founded out by Jeffery, he was halted. The vampire was careful not to come into range of either me or Eleazar in fear of his mind being probed.

However, we did find out that Alice and Jeffery had a strange common bond – their power of foreshadowing a very near future. And similarly, they had both been placed in the same institution for insanity. Although Alice had been saved from insanity, Jeffery was not. Before his change, he had nearly lost all of his sanity.

The only question remaining was how he was changed and if it had any link to James.

Grumbling curses under his breath, Jeffery dropped to the ground suddenly. Not one person batted an eyelash.

"MAKE IT STOP!" he screamed however, causing the entire house to roar with pain. He turned on his side and cringed, eyes blank and opaque with a vision. Eleazar appeared almost from thin air, kneeling besides the vampire. He held the boy's head to his own, trying to read the expression to no avail. Instead, he got visions of memories of the boy trying to tie together memories of such a great pain.

Bella floated from a wrinkle in the air and pushed away Eleazar with careful fingers. Her eyes scanned the thrashing immortal before gasping, hand flying almost automatically to the pentacle around her throat in fear. She gazed at me.

_Can you read his mind?!_

I probed deeply with my mind, trying to sync it with mine, but for some reason, it seemed that he was far from reach. I could only meet the tenor of his brain, soft edged. He laid affront of me, but in the same respect, he was far beyond. Confusion marked me and I gripped the wall, trying harder to delve into his mind.

_No, Bella I can't_, my hand tightened on the wall in aggravation. _What is going on?!_

Her eyes flashed around the room trying to find something. "GABRIEL!" she cried before falling to her knees. She held the immortal's face in her hands and closed her eyes. A shimmer played around Bella in a sparkling, green tinged aura.

The last and final member to join the party, Gabriel, appeared. He rested his hand on Isabella's head and his eyes widened. "Oh God…"

Bella turned away from the vampire, her lips parting softly. "He's dead," she whispered gently.

Unnerved, the party seemed to sway.

"What do you mean, _dead_?" A voice asked angrily. I looked over to see a small vampire - his name escaped me briefly before I realized it was also Edward. He fondled the end of his braid in aggravation. "I have walked this world in more steps and in more years than any of you had boasted and have seen only two possible ways to kill a vampire – either the mutilation by another source or," he paused with a vicious shiver, "insanity and that only kills the brain, not the entirety."

Bella's eyes never left mine, fear playing on her features. "I would have realized if it was insanity – this is impossible to explain…" she glanced briefly at Gabriel.

"A power, something I never thought was possible, killed Jeffery and this forced me to realize that I had made a grave miscalculation…" his eyes were full silver. "Someone, some great power had devoured his mind. Without a brain and its functions his body cannot work and he is what we know as _dead_."

"Devoured?" Samantha, the small siren squeaked, hiding her face in the arms of Jack.

"Can't you just revive him, _Blessed One?_" the man asked of Bella.

She shook her head, beads of sweat dripping down her nose. A vein in her neck began to pulse.

Another scream, similar to Jeffery's erupted from the mouth of a werewolf. Gabriel pacified him with a simple glare, a silver tinge placating the scream. Isis jumped from her meditation and looked around the room, seeing the way vampires, werewolves, hybrids, and sirens began to fall. A purple-tinge from her and Patricia's magic slowly floated over the screams.

With a gasp, I felt the pain drip through my mind – it felt almost like a migraine at first, slowly turning into a fire that burned me apart. It separated my head from the rest of my body.

I screamed out but it made not a sound. Disconnected, I felt my body move, like through water, very lethargically. Blackness rimmed my world. I felt like I was running through water, being pulled at the limbs into a pool of even darker color.

Vivid purple eyes stared back at me, and I fell infatuated. Her face was completely white – frigid and breathtakingly beautiful. Her ruby lips parted and softly, she whispered,

"_Come to me, Edward_."

Bella's voice edged around my subconscious, her hands touching the skin of my arms, yet I felt not a thing – I couldn't hear either. Her voice vibrated through my being, comforting. However, it led me away from the beautiful temptress in my mind.

Her long lashed eyes closed for a moment, causing a bright green ribbon to whip around me. Carefully placed ringlets bounced around her fair face with the effort. The world brightened to a beautiful green hue and I realized I was standing on an ocean, a clear color reflecting the same cream-green color of the sky. The illumination showed her dark copper ringlets clothed her, her cheeks tinting a beautiful pink. A gold crown sat on her head, the diamonds reflecting the same beautiful color of her eyes – a gorgeous purple.

"_You are weary, Edward…come to me."_

"Are you an angel?" I asked dully, my curiosity getting the best of me.

The answering grin was breathtaking. _"I am what you want,"_ she answered, her words melodic. _"What you deserve."_

"And what is that?"

For a moment, fury danced through her eyes. _"Question not the words of an angel_._"_

I laughed at her challenge. "However, if you are what I want, then how could you be an angel? I desire no angels – just to turn back to my Isabella."

The beautiful woman growled the sound echoing throughout the lime world. For a moment, her illusion shifted. I saw the grey eyes, opaque, and a yellow tinged skin. The illusion hardened and the impact of her gorgeousness fell on me like dead-weight.

Dark green tinged sparkles lashed out through my mind, and hesitantly I grappled them. Bella tugged and I fell back into my mind, the pain sharpening – the harder she tugged, the more I felt the incredible pain my body had gone through.

I opened my eyes to my mind once more, hopefully for the last connection of mind and body, and saw the face of Isabella. She kissed my forehead and glanced around at the rest of the party – all of us had fallen. Bella, Gabriel, Isis, and Patricia looked the worst of wear – their bodies were pale and almost malnourished.

"It burns a lot of carbs," she explained with a smile.

I gripped her hand in mine and saw a flash of decision in them. _You can't speak mind to mind_?

Her head shook violently. "The sickness, if you'll call it that, wiped out _everything_," she whispered. "Gabe, Isis, and Trish and me are all completely depleted. We're _fucked_."

I glanced at the clock – hours had passed. Questions must have flitted across my face because she smiled.

"Yea, five hours have passed. You were the longest to bring back," she whispered, "because you were the last to fall and you fell the hardest…" worry marked her brows into a V. "It was as if you welcomed it, like Jeffery. It was easier to heal everyone else because they fought along side us; however you and Jeffery just…casually fell into it…"

I didn't argue – I didn't fight back the temptress…Isabelle…Elesmeera…

The words to tell Isabella why I had not fought back lodged in my throat. Isis' looked at me, her cold eyes in question. She smiled half-heartedly.

_Glad that you had survived_, she said, her voice melancholy. It seemed as if there was something more underlying in her message. And why could she telepathically message me in the first place?

"How many casualties?" a dry voice asked for me.

I looked over at a siren – her name was Franz. She glanced over at Isis, eyes mute before coming back to Isabella's.

Bella shook softly, her eyes careful. "Mostly, we lost vampires…"

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Enough sentimentality," he demanded. "Samantha and her mate, Jack, Jeffery obvious…."

"Also Mika, Diana, Irina, and Alejandro have been sacrificed so far – I don't know if what we had done to bring the rest of you back is temporary or not…" Patricia said, looking at Gabriel. For a fraction of a second, admiration flashed in his eyes, however Patricia remained cold and impartial to his adoration. "It is as if we pushed Elesmeera's claws off you all, but who knows if she'll try to grab back."

Bella shuddered at the thought. "I suppose this is what we get – we were too lazy."

A howl shook through the house – my ears flinched at the sound of a lone wolf mourning the death of his friend. Bella immediately fled to placate the werewolf, placing her hand on Jake's large muzzle and whispering soft phrases of encouragement.

_Power Surge x Power Surge x Power Surge_

**Patricia  
**DAMMIT, I growled into Gabriel's shoulder. "What the hell! We let out thoughts slip…!"

He groaned in response. "God help us," he parted and began pacing. "We didn't listen nor pay attention."

"Don't plague yourself, children," Marcus said, his onion-like flesh creasing in the forehead. "At least we now know the extent of her power…"

"You don't understand!" he looked at Marcus. "I can feel Isabelle here," he placed a hand to his chest. "Just as well as Bella. She has _not_ weakened at all, from whatever stunt she had just pulled. This is no where close to the 'extent' of her power!"

I nodded in agreement. "There has been no change in her. In fact," I rippled at the thought, "I feel her _growing_."

Gabriel turned green. "FUCK."

Alec embraced Bella and she caressed his head, running his fingers through his soft hair. "I will not allow her to hurt you mistress," he promised her childlike. She smiled slightly, fear choking her.

Jane rolled her eyes, glancing at Marcus. "Is there anyway you could communicate with the Volturi Queen, m'lord?"

He placed his hand on Jane's head and she almost purred with glee. "I am sure that she is well beyond reasoning."

I looked carefully into Gabriel's eyes.

_I need your help._

_Power Surge x Power Surge x Power Surge_

I felt it…deep in my bones as I awoke. Today was another day. Another day, hour, minute, second closer to the fall of Isabelle. My throat clogged in misunderstood fear.

Isabella.

I flew down the stairs and saw everyone in the dinning room, talking in fast vampire talk. They were arguing the news, the reports, and what to do with the dead lying immaculate in the living room. Anger flashed in their eyes and I briefly saw Gabriel nod to me.

_Get her away from here. _**NOW.**

I gave up trying to listen and followed his demands. I tried to push myself through the throng of people, but instead found myself, too small and too slender to slink through them.

"ISABELLA!" I hollered, the sound echoing through their minds and their ears. Everyone jumped and I laughed on the inside.

Her eyes widened.

"Yes, what is it Patricia?"

"Come."

She followed reluctantly, giving Edward a small smile before following me back to their room.

"We must leave soon. I can feel it," a wave of trembles swept through my body as if to make a point. "We are _not _safe."

"Where do we go?!" she asked eyes wide in fear and panic. A wave of quick trembles flowed through her body.

"You feel it?"

She nodded. "She's calling for me."

Another wave of trembles shocked out bodies. "Only a matter of days."

"I don't understand what you want from me, Patricia."

_We must go, _I explained to her. _Gabriel wants me to take you away. To delay the inevitable. She's coming, I can feel it – we can all feel it. Even your lover has felt the call of Isabelle. You're too young, too weak to face her at this time. The sickness has drained you. We must go…_

"To the Sahara," Alice whispered from the doorway. Her mind pulsated gently in mine, her voice quick. _It is the only place I can see that isn't surrounded by her. She is currently surrounded by ice and snow – somewhere far north, but her pawns are coming from Greenland._..

Bella's eyes widened between us. She shook violently and gripped the door for help. "I feel her beckoning," she whispered, looking up at me. "I understand."

_We'll have to mask our scent._

Alice nodded. _You can wear some of Rosalie's garments_.

_No one knows, right? _I asked.

Alice smiled and shook her head. _No one knows…yet_

I sighed in relief, and Alice disappeared. She came back with a two pairs of jeans, and two shirts. "Take showers and use heavily scented soap. Then spray yourselves with perfume. It'll mask your scent for a few hours. The wind will wear it out soon."

I bobbed my head in understanding, and pushed Bella into the bathroom. "Shower…now."

Bella's eyes were still wide in alarm, and confusion. She was in the shower and out quickly. Her scent was off, almost like trying to cover flowers in…vanilla. It worked though, when she added the perfume. I couldn't smell Bella's freesia scent anymore at all.

I hopped in the shower, washing my hair with vanilla and my body in a matching scent. I hoped it worked with me as well.

I soon was out, and dressed in Rosalie's clothing. The clothing was large on me – she was far more proportioned and curvy. I glanced out the window and saw it was snowing. Super. Plus, I was still weakened by the sickness. This was possibly going to be a mission impossible, but I couldn't risk it anymore. Gabriel was sure of me to an extent – he knew that I was in control of my powers to a degree. Yet Bella he was still unsure of.

The girl sat outside the bathroom door, balancing herself on her head with magic, her hair just brushing the ground. A tremble shook her and she fell onto the ground in a crash that would've broken a human neck. She smiled, eyes fearful.

"This is about all the magic I can do at the moment," her long lashes lowered. "We shouldn't be doing this. She'll catch us too quickly..."

"We must go," I said with a tremble. _And speak through your minds for secrecy. _

Bella mimicked my small shake and shook her head. _But…Edward…_

_God Dammit Bella! If you tell him, he __will__ go after you! She will use him against you and you __will__ die! I don't need Alice's visions or my hand reading to see that! Its pure fact you'd do __anything__ for him, and vise versa. Either way, one of you will die; if I have to choose it will be him!_

"Don't scold _me_!" Bella said, shaking again. "I…you'd understand if you where in love…," she informed me with a small voice. _And if I had to choose, it would be me._

_He cannot do what you must!_ I shouted.

She glared at me, but opened the window. _Might as well go. Alice is stalling the best she can, but I can hear Edward screaming for me. It's…painful._

I smiled grimly and embraced her. I couldn't tell her that she might never see her Edward. And although it was against Gabriel's orders, I whispered in his mind,

_Remember she loves you._

She copied my sad smile and I slung her onto my back. Soon we were running, the hair whipping my face. I knew, at this moment, with the wind in my face, the trembles in my body, the icy feeling of her skin that this wasn't going to be fun…

It's going to suck. Horribly…

_Power Surge x Power Surge x Power Surge_

**Bella  
**She ran; faster than I had assumed she could, all the while quivering. Her warm skin seeped through my clothing, keeping most of my trembles at bay, but I couldn't help the voice in my head that screeched my insolence.

"The path there is going to be harsh," she said softly. "I'm trying to save some of your energy by carrying you, but it'll only work for so long."

"This is wrong!" I cried finally. "Why did she have to do this to us?!"

Patricia shook violently, falling face down into the snow. She cried out in anguish, sending us into a horrible frenzy of shakes. "Calm fucking down! NOW!" She demanded, her voice loud and scaring the hell out of me. "I can't stay composed forever! Do you understand how afraid I am?! Don't START with me ISABELLA!" _I can feel her so close! I can't stop shaking, and I'm weak Bella! _She spat out snow and rolled over.

I started to tremble with anger and the unexplained closeness of Isabelle. We took deep breaths, trying to calm down. "I'm sorry, Patricia," I whispered. "I'm afraid."

She nodded. "I'm sorry too," she murmured. "And so am I. Ugh!" She placed a hand on her head. "Gabriel was steering me, but with the clear lack of power I can't remember what route I was supposed to follow!"

"My god!" I said in an exasperated tone.

"I remember," a voice piped up. Isis slinked out from behind the trees and Patricia let out a soft breath.

"He did not recruit you," she said evenly.

"I came of my own accord. I'm supposed to keep my eyes on Isabella," she pointed out. Her opaque eyes suddenly glanced away from Tricia and a tremble shook her. Instead of a fearful expression overcoming her, she smiled blindingly, as if she enjoyed the pressure of Isabelle's presence.

Patricia seemed too uncertain for me to feel comforted. I stood up and gripped Isis' hand. "Your aid is greatly appreciated however."

The girl smiled. "I'll gladly lead you where you need be." She shot off into the blizzard, and without my sharpened eyesight, I wouldn't have seen her.

"I shall return the favor," I said to Patricia softly. I gripped the shivering immortal and placed her on my back, using the small spark of magic I had left to warm her. She let out a breath.

"Gabriel would be angry if he saw what you had just done."

I shrugged and shot off, following the footsteps, nearly covered, of Isis. She slammed through the snow as if she had not lost her power to the sickness, as if she was completely fine. I had to dig deep into the recesses of my being to compete with her pace while keeping Patricia warm.

I was lost in concentration, and because of that, the walls I had constructed from minds slipped. I heard the minds of those immortals perhaps, states back, crying in anguish and confusion as well as Patricia's quiet murmurs of fear and Isis' concentration on her task at hand. One specific voice hit me the hardest – Edward's. He had sensed the breech in my walls and stole in through the cracks.

_ISABELLA! Please…answer me…_

_Edward…please don't get mad at me! Gabriel said this is the only way…_

_BELLA! _He cried, _are you okay? Where are you, why did you leave? Where's Patricia? I'll snap her…_

_STOP!_

_I can't stop Bella! You're rushing into danger! How would you feel if you where me?_

I slowed down to a halt.

_Edward, I can't…I have to do something that you won't understand. I promise, I'll come back. Worry about your family and not me right now._

_How can I?! _

_Don't fight with me! _I yelled.

_Come home! Please…Bella darling angel, please come back!_

_I…can't…_

I started to choke on sobs, and started to tremble like mad. I looked around, but I was alone. All alone. Patricia quietly asked why I stopped and I ran back on. A vicious shudder ran through my skin.

_Love, please…shit!_

_Edward…?_

_Holy crap!_

_EDWARD?!_

_I'm okay but…Alice! NO!_

Fear suffocated my limbs as I saw through his mind. Faces, blank of remembrance, rushed into the small Denali house and fought violently with friends and family. Patricia must have sensed that my walls had crumbled and imperiously slid through. Her mental and audible gasps were too loud.

"This is what Gabriel tried to stop you from getting in the middle of!" she whispered. "He was correct in the attack!"

I hissed. "We have to turn around and help them…"

"Why should we?" Isis asked, her opaque eyes shimmering. I raised a brow at her and even Patricia seemed confused. "You have enough worries on your plate at the moment, _Mistress_." Her patronizing voice echoed in the wind. She spat angrily at my feet.

Patricia bristled with anger, sliding down from my back. Navy blue color pulsated from her eyes and twined around her irises. "You traitor!"

Iris twisted around in a pirouette, sprouting beautiful light red flames from her feet. "I have not lost all my power, so if you attempt to challenge me, Patricia, I am almost certain you will lose. My problem is not with you, young one," she turned her cold eyes onto me. "It is with her."

"You must be Myrah," I said coolly. "Isabelle's bastard lover, whom she uses like an animal. It's glad to know you have a sense of self-worth."

Isis laughed cheerily. "You have insults like you have intelligence, Isabella." She grinned. "Do you think you can overtake me?"

Patricia looked sadly in my direction. _You can't take her._

I grinned just as sadly. _I can try…Run far, save yourself please. _She shook her head and my eyes hardened. _NOW. I have to take care of this by myself. And if there is anyone who can follow in my footsteps to take down Elesmeera is will have to be you. There's no one left, if Gabriel is killed. Please._

Reluctantly, the girl heeded my words, bright eyes tearing. She ran north, like we were to go, and I waited until she was out of sight before continuing on with Isis. The immortal female grinned.

"I cannot wait, to have your head on a platter," she cried cheerfully. She closed her eyes and slid this way and that through the snow, a slight blur. I attempted to follow her with my eyes and realized that, unlike her, I had eyesight – and as foolish as it sounded, she had the upper hand without her sense. I closed my eyes tightly and followed her motions with my sense of smell. The snow had bleached everything a sweet clean. I relied on my other sense, the feeling of her slowly approaching.

She feinted right and then attacked from the left – I dodged barely, feeling her cheek brush against a strand of my hair. She whispered softly, "You're out of your league, sweetling."

I growled, turning slightly to grip her arm, but she slipped gleefully through my hand. A howl ripped through the air and my eyes snapped open. Wolf-form, I thought quickly. The form took only seconds to shift and wouldn't need so much work.

I could feel my bones tensing, then relaxing – stretching through my body. The color of my eyes varied until the twilight sky turned a startling grey and the snow a blinding white. Fur erupted from my body, ripping the clothing I had from my body into shreds. My fingernails elongated and curved into claws.

"Here doggy, doggy," the immortal shrieked patronizingly. I snarled, howling loudly into the twilight blizzard.

_You're on_, I hissed running quickly to slam into her. Unrepentantly, the girl disappeared and reappeared behind me, grabbing my tail and tugging. I dug my paws into the snow, but it was a useless gesture. She pulled me and slammed me into a bluff. I turned and saw her charging, hands turned into long claws. I couldn't move, frozen – perhaps by her magic.

Out of the quickly falling snow, a russet wolf slammed into the girl and shoved her violently into the snow almost by my side. Unfrozen, I jumped from the ground.

_It's Jake_, he explained, picking the witch by the scruff of her neck and tossing her towards me. She transformed almost midair, turning into a slim black-blue wolf. I backed up, but she propelled herself forward, gripping me in her nails. We rolled into the snow bluffs, snapping at each other to no avail.

Jake, sensing the hopeless fight, slammed Isis off of me, but the girl had grabbed me by the ear with her teeth. The pain, shocking, pulled me out of my form. My ear slipped through her teeth, bleeding a variety of red hues.

_Fuck Bella_, Jake groaned. He scooped me onto his back and I buried my face in his fur. _You witch from here and I'll take over the manual labor._

I shook my head. _I can't witch Jake! I have no witching left in me._

He growled his disdain, circling the black-blue shadow. _Then you better steal some. I don't know Bella, but I doubt that you don't have any witching left in you._

I searched my being and found threads of green throughout my body. _It's my life I'm delving in, _I explained.

_You won't have a life if you don't work! _

With a snarl, the werewolf charged into the wolf-witch, snapping into her neck with his canines. The girl cried but remained her wolf form (much to my envy). Carefully, I remembered what Patricia had told me about siren's blood being flammable. With a prayer, I imagined myself placing a match to her heart.

The wolf backed away, screaming. The fire underneath her skin began to seep through her black fur and burn her inside out. Jake wheeled away, breaking my concentration. _Hold on_, he demanded, and took a running charge into the female. His teeth snapped once again around her neck and threw her back and forth like a rag-doll before spitting her out into a snow bluff. The blizzard quickened and my skin began to feel the cold. I shuddered, pulling at Jake's fur for warmth.

_This is not over, not by a _LONG-SHOT, the girl cried. She exploded from her wolf from, perhaps pulled by pain like I was. Levitating slightly off the ground, she glared at the snow. It rose about a good twenty feet into the air. Crying out, it rose another hundred before crashing over Jake and I like a wave.

My eyes closed as we were buried. When they opened, the world was completely white and russet – a factor of Jake's hair and the snow.

_I can't dig out!_ he exclaimed. _She's freezing over the snow. We're _fucked_ Bella!_

Stubborn anger flooded through me and green light began to melt the snow around us. The light exploded from every fiber of my being, through my skin, and into the white surrounding Jake and me.

In response to our recovery, Isis slammed more of her gift into us, building almost a circle of ice around us. The green melted it in licking flames that extended to her. In response, the girl shifted a bright red shield around her. The fire bounced back and stabbed into Jake's back. He wheeled in pain, a howl of anguish flitted through the air. Slowly, claws became toenails and a muzzle became a nose. He shivered into the snow as a named human man.

Isis lowered her guard and gripped more of her snow. It rose higher this time, the edge turning into silver spikes that would impale us if they fell. Weaving the green light into a tough guard, similar to hers, I awaited the wave. It fell like bricks, creating holes in my wall. Snow slipped in onto Jake's black hair and face – the sudden cold awakening him from his faint. He was up and changed quickly, exploding the small space of my wall. He propelled us both from the snow and had the witch between his teeth. He bit down trying to snap her in half, but she disappeared.

She screamed angrily and threw her red light at me. Quickly, to answer the attack, I pulled up a large green guard. Her red light bounced off my guard and turned her a beautiful, crystalline hue. Jake hesitantly walked towards the frozen witch and nudged her. She shattered into a million pieces like fragile glass. He grinned a wolf grin at me, pulling back large lips to expose his front teeth, before pissing on the remains.

_She's dead_, he explained. _She must have tried to freeze you_.

_Crazy bitch_, I replied. My naked skin began to tinge blue. Jake jogged back to me, curling me into his side. He nuzzled my neck, wrapping his paws around me.

_Funny how I get to see you naked _this _way; of course in a life or death situation so I can't even find pleasure in it,_ he laughed. I smiled grimly and snuggled closer to Jake.

_I'm completely dead on my feet, _I mumbled, feeling the first few seconds of vertigo. _Watch over me while I sleep_.

_Of course, Princess_, he agreed and rested his paws around me, trying to keep me as warm as possible. My eyes shut and they didn't open for a long time.

_Power Surge x Power Surge x Power Surge_.

My head felt like someone took tissue paper and shoved it in as if I was some sort of piñata. I just wondered who would have the nerve to hit me with a baseball bat. Power had come back to my body and filled me uncomfortably – I was getting used to feeling slightly empty and vulnerable.

Slowly I opened my eyes and found myself lying naked on ice. I shifted but something restrained me."Wha-what? Where am I?" I asked. My eyes soon adjusted to the bright light that filtered through ice. It seemed like some sort of ice castle – beautifully carved if I must say so myself. Sunlight bounced around it like a crystal and glittered in my eyes.

As I began to realize where I was, I found myself in some sort of ice-prison. The bars were made out of thick icicles, but something told me they weren't as fragile as I thought they were. Iron bound my arms and legs and angrily, I realized I couldn't shatter them. My power had returned, but instead my strength was sapped. I growled my anger.

"Bella?" a voice questioned. Jake sat across from me, half-smiling. He shifted his legs to cover his privates and blushed. "Are you okay?"

"No," I answered quickly. He raised an eyebrow to elaborate, but instead of my words, another voice said, roughly,

"Dress yourselves, monsters."

A werewolf dressed in regal purple and white threw clothes into the prison and ran a finger through crows'-wing hair. He grinned at me, sizing up my nude body. "Hard to believe this looker is a monster, eh?"

Another man, darker in complexion, but with brighter hair, pushed his friend away from the bars. "Remember what milady had said! 'They look more human than they are!'" he made a strange sign on his chest. "They are evil through and through."

The first wolf smirked. "Looks like she could do fair evil things with that pretty lil' mouth of hers," he murmured and strode away.

I gagged at the thought and enchanted the clothes onto my body fair easily. Jake struggled – for God's sake; we were bound by our legs and arms! I enchanted his as well and he nodded his approval.

The dress was plum and wool – fair warm. It seemed too regal for my liking. Jake's was that of a jester and I had to snicker. He rolled his eyes.

Two women walked towards our prison and blinked at the bars. They slid down to the ground, almost as if they melted them, and walked towards us. With a sigh on the iron bars, they dropped from the wall and changed into a leash around our neck. Our legs, gratefully, were freed, but our hands were still barred around our backs. With the end of each leash in their hands, the girls tugged us to our feet.

I stumbled at the weakness in my legs and followed the women angrily, fuming with shivers. The hall was long and decadent, with pictures of Volterra and of an ancient time. The last picture, of Isabelle and Marcus together, lips nearly meeting, caught my eye. She looked so young and so normal. The rest of the "queen's" pictures twisted until she became a ghastly, unnatural, goddess.

The room we were lead to was round and open – a scarlet carpet let up to a warm gold and red throne that seemed out of place in the icy palace. Around the throne-room were werewolves and sirens and vampires of different colors and genders. They laughed, pointed, swore, and made the same sign the light-haired wolf had done on his chest.

The women pushed us onto the ground telepathically and the crowd roared with laughter. Jake groaned.

_Look at the trouble you got me into! There's no way on this planet we can take all of them in our conditions!_

I glared at him. _I didn't ask for your help in the first place!_

He stared blankly at me before looking away, muttering under his breath.

"_**SILENCE**_!" someone screeched. "The Queen!"

I looked up to see Elesmeera approach the throne. Her eyes were dull purple today which made my skin crawl. She was dressed in luxurious furs, her hair straightened instead of curled, down to her feet and trailed behind her in a train. Her dark eyes fell onto me and my companion and a smile flitted across her face.

"Isabella, Jacob," she motioned for me to stand, but I couldn't. "STAND!"

I stood my knees weak. I almost collapsed again, but adrenaline was pumping. Jake faired better than me, standing quickly. "Isabelle, quite fancy seeing you here."

"Don't you dare address me as that horrible name! I am your queen!" She shrieked, all of the melody in her voice I think I heard before absent. Her voice was nasally and shrill. With her magic, she forced me down until I fell face-first onto the icy ground. "STAND!"

"You are not my queen. This word is not ruled by anyone except fate." Jacob informed her weakly from my side. I looked around, trying to find a familiar face, yet there were none.

Then I saw him, _Gabriel_. He was standing by Isabelle's side, holding her petite hand in his. He was dressed in the uniform like the other wolves.

Then I saw it, in his gaze. Lust, love, envy, admiration…

He betrayed us.

"You son of a b…!" I cried going to lunge at him, but someone pulled me back. I looked up into the eyes of Patricia.

"You stupid whore!" I cried, trying to scratch her with my fingers. I actually landed a blow on her temple. It stretched from her temple to her shook her head, and the crowd laughed at me, as if I was some sort of humorous exhibit. Isabelle grinned, all high and mighty-like.I saw her heal quickly, like I expected. But _still_.

I looked down to see Jake crumpled, trying to get on his knees. I collapsed onto mine and tried to pull him up.

"It hurts!" he said, touching his abdomen. I rolled him over to see a bruise encircled his ribs. It started to heal, but at a slow painful rate. "Just stay down. Wait until you're healed."

He nodded and gripped my hand. _You better get us out of this_. I was about to give him an optimistic reply, but Elesmeera's laughter shred through my ears shrilly.

"This is rich," she laughed. "Do you think you can fight me in this state, Isabella _Swain_? Obviously, your human parents taught you _nothing_ of odds. Especially," she grinned and leaned forward, "when I have something you would give your life for."

My blood ran cold.

"Edward," I whispered, feeling my whole body vibrate with anger and anguish. Jake placed a hand on mine, whimpering at the pain of his bruise.

"Peasant, get her for me," she demanded in a sharp nasally tone. A girl, no older than 15, came bounding out, a limp Edward in her arms.

"If it pleases my lady, I would kill her myself," she murmured her eyes wide with fear.

Isabelle frowned. "No, your services are not needed." With a flip of her hand, the young girl ran back to her spot in the shadows.

Edward was lying at Isabelle's feet, his breathing shallow, and venom mixed blood dripped over his side onto the clear steps.

"HOW CAN YOU STAND THERE AND KILL SOMEONE WHO'S INNOCENT?!" I cried. "MONSTER!"

Isabelle flinched slightly and turned her lips into a playful pout. "I was once promised to hear the screams of him as he fought for his life," she whispered. "I'm just making sure that I do not lose the chance. However," she paused and flashed a gorgeous smile, "I am willing to bargain."

_Do not take her bargain. I've seen this in movies, _Jake warned, _she'll just kill him anyway._

"Do you join me?" Isabelle called through the room.

"No," I growled.

"Hm?"

"NO! I REFUSE TO JOIN YOU, YOU MONSTER!"

Elesmeera stood from her perch on the throne and took two steps; we suddenly stood face to face. She lifted me by the collar of my dress until I looked down upon her. With the effort it would take to lift a rag-doll, she hurled me across the room. I slammed into the ice pillar and for whatever reason it was harder than I was. The shock slipped back into me instead of the pillar and I was doubly wounded.

"Do you join me?!"

"I REFUSE!" I cried, coughing up enough spit mixed with venom to spit by her feet. Her followers let out howls, growls, and snarls in response. Possibly, because their queen had not given them an order to attack me, they did so secretly by pushing at the walls I had surrounded around my mind to keep theirs out. Their invisible nails scratched at my plastic wall and I whimpered in mental pain - it felt nealy a hundred times worse than a headache.

Isabelle picked up Edward into her arms and grinned at me. "You have refused my bargain Isabella Swan. And this is what you have to endure. Perhaps it shall show you the only path that has extended itself to you," she explained. I watched as Edward was completely healed, my face scrunching up in confusion.

She smiled gleefully and placed the vampire onto the ground. Edward jumped up almost immediately, his face clear of pain.

"Bella?" he cried. He ran towards me and scooped me into his arms, holding me tightly. Paralyzed by Isabelle's sudden kindness, I stood there as he embraced me.

_Never run off like that ever again!_ he scolded, kissing along the length of my face.

And suddenly he was so far away. I watched as Elesmeera pulled him away from me with her magic and pulled her affront of him. "Edward, we finally meet."

"No," he growled. "I have certainly seen you before, your _highness_."

She grinned. "But of course this is more formal." She swept a curtsy, looking up at him from under her mile-long lashes. "Lord Edward Cullen, I am Elesmeera, Queen of Volterra and of The Hidden Place and Ice Fortress, Supreme Ruler of all Immortals and soon, all of humankind." She curtsied again, extending a hand for his lips to kiss. Edward pushed it away.

"To me, however, your _highness_," he patronized, "you are nothing more than an elderly woman playing with makeup and trying to take over the world bitterly because you were a woman scorned. You are psychotic as you are falsely beautiful." With that, he bowed.

Isabelle frowned. "I'm saddened that you think of me in such a way. You could've certainly taken Myrah's place as my lover with those perfect lips. Oh the follies of man," she sighed and brought up her hands. She flung her fingers outwards from her palms and Edward disappeared to reappear on the ground in a million jagged pieces.

A scream of horror escaped my throat.

Her hands then returned to fist shape and he was rebuilt. Edward gripped a pillar, his eyes wide. He groaned in pain, running his other hand along his body to see if he missed a piece.

"Please, stop!" I begged, trying to run to him, but the women who had created the leash made another one out of their combined brown magic and froze me where I stood.

"Silence!" Isabelle demanded, her voice echoing. "This is what happens when you deny my requests!"

She exploded Edward to rebuild him again, and this time he screamed. I screamed with him, feeling a phoenix fire thrash inside my body, willing to get out. It exploded around the room, bouncing off the pillars and back into my body. The women released me and before I could run across the room, Jacob had taken my place, transformed. He pushed Isabella firmly into a wall, releasing Edward. The vampire collapsed to the ground, (whole, mind you) and cried out pain.

I ran across the room and realized that they weren't attacking. With a grin that stretched into a smile, I realized something else – they were attacking with their minds. My power of immunity had once again surged around me, keeping them at bay. With a cry of laughter, I grabbed Isabelle. I sent an immeasurable amount of pain I was feeling into her and she cried out, clawing at my hands leaving long scars.

"WHERE ARE THE CULLENS?" I cried.

"Right here!" Someone called. I turned and saw them all hobble into the room, clothes shredded and battle wounds few on their shimmering bodies. Gabriel gripped my wrist and pulled me away from Elesmeera.

"TRAITOR!" I accused him.

_Now is not the time. Isabella, make them leave, this is not their fight…_

I pushed out his voice and gave a cry of anger. I threw the same amount of pain into him and listened to his cries with glee. Elesmeera hobbled away, grabbing bright green fire around her. She levitated off the ground thirty feet and laughed maniacally.

_**ATTACK**_ she rumbled audibly and mentally. The wolves and fractions shape-shifted, the sirens gripped long icicles, and the rest of the fractions armed themselves with color. The party I had left at Denali raised arms as well before charging into the fray.

Patricia gave me a sad smile before throwing navy magic over the attacking wolves. They floated to the ceiling before collapsing violently onto the ground of the palace, crushing fractions and sirens.

Isabelle remained airborne, laughing manically but doing nothing. I would tend to her later. Instead, I ran to Edward and coddled him in my arms.

_My love_, I called to him. His ocher eyes fluttered open and he fixed me a beautiful look.

_I love you_, he whispered back.

_**BELLA!**_ Alice cried, running affront of Edward and I. I looked up at Isabelle and watched almost in slow-motion as she flipped out her palm. Alice broke into a million pieces. The "queen" blinked slowly and the Alice-bits fell aflame. I cried out anguished as Edward screamed his rage.

"YOU'RE DONE FOR!" I screamed. My body and mind separated from one another. Nothing else mattered besides the death of this insolent _bitch_.

She glowed bright green and grinned. "It's finally time you show me that there is some sort of me in you."

Revenge coated my tongue heavily. "Gladly."


	15. A Hitch in Immortal Supremacy

_**A Hitch in Immortal Supremacy **_

"_you know I would have died for you  
now I'm forced to choose between a life of revenge or regret  
as I thirst for vengeance, my heart struggles to come to grips  
why would you leave me to die, turn, and walk away?"  
_**-Alesana**

**Bella  
**Power raced from my fingertips and wove around my body into a unique patchwork of forest green. I could feel the strength return to me, could feel my body tighten with the tension of a coiled spring, read to pounced on my attacker. My eyes were only for Elesmeera, as were hers for mine.

_Finally_, she whispered along my mind. I hardened my mental walls until I heard nothing but the pitter-patter of my own thoughts. Quickly, before she would have her time to attack, I shot all of my magic at her. It raced through the immortal, snapping its jaws like a dragon, ready to devour Elesmeera whole.

She pushed the magic away with a flick of her wrist, twisting it around to face me. The raw power I had sent out took a brighter hue as it swallowed me completely. The violent bite of the magic caused my skin to scream. I twisted it gently around me, bringing it towards Isabelle. It grazed her flawless face; bone and vein exposed giving her a look that suited her age.

She shrieked, not out of pain, but rage, sinking to the ground. She flashed me a gorgeous smile. I followed her descent to the ground, tensing tighter for her next attack.

Then I felt it – a sharp pain through my mind. I staggered against a pillar, feeling a violent migraine. The _sickness_, I gasped internally. My mind and body unwillingly detached and I fell into a sickly green domain.

God give me strength.

**GABRIEL  
**Bella collapsed to the ground head first wordlessly, her body tangled in an awkward angle. Hesitantly, I probed into her mind and found Elesmeera's grip. The immortal queen was no where to be seen, but the sudden crowd of immortals hinted towards her appearance.

I slunk over to Isabella and took in her sickly pale skin, the eyebrows furrowed over her long-lashed eyes. _Relax_, I whispered to her mind, kissing underneath her ear. The deep lined around her lips softened.

The immortal queen seemed to desire their fight mentally – Bella was to duel in the landscapes of Elesmeera's personal universe, where the queen would have complete and utter control – the upper hand. Somehow, I had assumed the queen would pull such a desperate stunt. We needed to act far more quickly than expected and hopefully, Elesmeera did not understand the full extent of what she was attempting to do…to devour Bella into her mind to create a single entity.

_Patricia!_ I called. _You must continue with our plan!_

The girl nodded, crimsoned curls bouncing with the movements. A red fire burned in her eyes as she called to her entirety – her being. In the sudden preoccupation of calming her mind and meditating, she had forgotten the fray she stood amidst. An icicle danced across her forearm, welling crimson blood.

Jacob growled protectively and pushed the wielder into Elesmeera's throne. The siren gave one cry of pain before the wolf snapped her neck. He trotted back to Patricia's side, growling at those who came too close. I frowned.

Patricia smiled gratefully before plopping down on the floor. Jake bowed besides her, curling around her tightly. I switched my view from that of normality to essences.

The essence, the immortality each member of the room possessed, slunk from the bodies, exiting eyes as well as mouths, ears, and nostrils. The multicolor assortment compiled into Patricia, turning her into a bright, flaming being.

Werewolves transformed back into humans, much to Jacobs' displeasure. His nude body was curled a little too tightly around Patricia's small frame for him to feel comfortable. Sirens wilted like flowers, losing their speed and beautiful scent; vampires gripped their chests, trying to find the meaning behind their suddenly beating hearts.

The power widened, stretched, and coated Patricia in a black glow, her eyes opening to nothingness. She stood in the crystalline room drenched in darkness, however emitting a glow far brighter and dazzling than any other being could create.

The once-immortals watched her eagerly as she gracefully loped towards me, hands outstretched. Her fingers seemed to be tendrils of matter, which floated and twisted from her palms to grip my face. _NOW_, she bellowed, her voice a mental cry. It sounded as if all the voiced in this room had somehow emitted from her at once – it was as maddening.

Positioning myself between the two magnificent beings, I carefully guided the black matter into Isabella's mouth with my fingertips to her plump lips. The electric high of endless power flowing through my body blinded my senses. My power gradually reached it's peak and it was then I prophesized the end of this battle.

I wasn't sure if I was to be glad or severely frightened.

**Bella  
**The lime-green universe was marvelous. The sky twisted like a ribbon, darkening and shadowing in some weird, pall, while the land Isabelle and I stood upon took each change without notice. With a sharp inhale of confusion, a startled squeak, I realized that instead of land was glass-clear water. I bent down and ran my fingers through the cool pond and felt the magic nearly slip – I almost fell into the waves. The bottom of the pool was endless – it was impossible to conclude how many feet or miles the pool reached to. It was endless, as well as the sky.

"Welcome," the queen chirped, "To your grave. I ask you one final time willingly to accept your fate as my child and to take my right hand as a successor and a partner. I can give you more power than you could ever dream," she said, eyes brightening to a sinister lilac. "And don't you dare disagree with adoring your power – I know that you have found happiness in the simple tasks you have been able to accomplish and partly excited in what you _could _accomplish."

An image floated on the water. Edward and I were smiling on a porch, two bronze haired children swinging only yards from us. Alice laughed, wrapping her arms around us both, examining the matching rings on our fingers. The rest of the Cullens appeared, as well as the La Push Wolf Pack…my parents as well. The joined the scene that belonged in a made for television movie, laughing and smiling and gazing lovingly at the two youths. "We can make this a reality," she informed me. "We can make the impossible possible!"

"NO," I growled at her, wrenching my eyes away. "You cannot justify the death of millions with my happiness Elesmeera! Don't you understand? What you are planning cannot occur bloodlessly – your vision for the world differs so much from the path God has created and because of this, there will be war and destruction!"

She glared at me, her lips sickly sweet. "Then stop denying my will!"

The world lurched, shuddered, and stilled. From the glass ocean emerged a great castle; gothic in structure. The turrets pierced into the sky and turned it subtly twilight. Gates, rickety but strong, clanged as they were jostled. Trees grew – grass covered the expense of ground. Soon the scene turned medieval – the time of Isabelle's reign.

Banners and flags waved gently in the wind, showing pictures of a lavender horse rampant on a silver background, the same colors Isabelle wore proudly. Information pulsed in my head… _La Dimora delle Donne,_ my mind buzzed. The Women's Dwelling.

Sense leaves hid the sky overhead from view, almost like that in Forks. Sadness, a home sickness, overwhelmed me. For a quick breath, I forgot where I was, wrapped up in the past.

Isabella's cackle brought me from my memories. I cried out in horror as her veins, bones, and flesh melted away into a single lime-green light that stretched into a flickering flame. It lapped through _La Dimora delle Donne_, burning the sky a sickly green.

The world she had created lurched angrily at her display but she didn't notice. Ugly green tentacles lashed out from the blob of light and gripped me dangerously tight. _If you will not join me willingly,_ she cried, her voice more of a vibration throughout my being – my voice strangled a choking scream, _then you shall join unwillingly! _The tentacles bit into my skin, almost ripping me apart as well as scorching into my bone.

Black light whipped across the strange universe, violently thrusting it into complete, sparkling darkness. Isabelle and I both tripped into the endless sky. Gasping for enough air to scream, I choked on the effort. The overwhelming blankness seeped into my throat, stopping my cries.

Isabelle grappled me once more, her tendrils of magic wrapping around my waist as we plummeted into absolute nothing. The darkness that had overrun Isabelle's world clothed me in thick armor as I floated peacefully to the ground. The black, which was now around my body, pulled from the world like a curtain, revealing Forks. We stood on the front lawn of the Cullen Mansion before summer had come, before it was abandoned. Familiarity seeped into my being – it was a comforting thought.

The green-Isabelle light shot at me once more, to no avail. Confidentially, I raised my hands – a thick wall of black shimmering light reflected her blow. She bounced against the wall, trying to find a crack or crevice to sneak through. I halted her instantaneously at each meek try.

The immortal queen shape-shifted back to her human form and glared at me angrily. "This ends _now_."

"I agree," I spoke awkwardly. Black tendrils pulled her limbs and stretched until she cried. I smiled revenge bloody in my expression. Her eyes brightened to an aggravated lilac. The immoral queen growled her rage. Once more, I smiled. Her anguish meant very little to me.

"If you will not join me," she rasped, "then I shall join _you!_"

She shape-shifted back into her very essence, sliding through the tendrils that had held her at bay. In a speed, I had been too careless to prepare myself for, the light slammed into my head. I screamed as the world looped and swirled, all of Forks, the remained of the black light, fragments of Isabella, and the glassy water collided into my skull.

I then opened my eyes.

_**Edward**_  
Bella's eyes opened to a startling black, before edging slowly to her normal hazel and brown mix. I smiled at her, grabbing her hands between mine. "How do you feel?"

Her lips puckered. "Stuffed…Gabriel…?"

The man was already besides her, hand by her lips. "Let's give back their power my dear," he beckoned. The grown I wanted to emit instead came out as a squeak. Bella giggled and rested her hand on Gabriel's temple. Patricia, Gabriel, and Bella formed some sort of human chain, restoring the immortality to the immortals.

Jacob howled loudly as he turned back into a hairy mongrel – the one thing I would surely miss was the lack of _stench_. Bella's head fell forward gently, onto my chest. It took me a moment to realize that it wasn't a faint, but her listening gently to my heart.

Gabriel released Bella, as well as Patricia. They shifted away. "Bella this is your choice," he informed her, eyeing me slightly.

Bella looked up at me. "Your face is flushed," she laughed. She ran her hand down my face and my heart pumped agonizingly. "And that is adorable."

I flushed and looked away much to my embarrassment. _Flushed_, I groaned at the thought.

"Do you wish to stay…?" she dwindled off as Emmett tossed a werewolf into a pillar. The palace shook, swayed and groaned.

"We have to go!" Carlisle yelled, running out and pulling Esme with him. Rosalie and Emmett followed, with Jasper trailing behind with charred pieces of Alice in his hand; the most evident was her face.

Bella slung me onto her back, muttering, _"Humans_", and ran through the exit. Wolves and sirens followed into the snow. I shuddered into the cold and Bella laughed, warming me with her powers.

"Bella, keep your …human problems on the sidelines for now," Carlisle glanced at me with a grin. "Right now we need to figure out what to do with _them_."

Over a thousand bodies awaited my decision. _You have killed their queen – rightfully you have taken their place as a deity, Isabella Swan._

The voice sounded familiar, but I was too weary to figure out whom it belonged to. I glanced at the cold human Edward on my back.

"For now," I said cheerfully, "let's find someplace warm."


	16. Epilogue

_**A.N: **_This is it – the end. Electric Shock will be written I suppose eventually, but at the moment, enjoy the ending of Power Surge (FINALLY!)

X] love always, Tricia

_**Epilogue**_

"_We will conquer them all"  
_**- Escape the Fate**

"I demand an answer," I growled, glaring at Gabriel. I couldn't help but notice how evasive he has been over the subject – how he has all but run away from me since our migration into the warm jungles of South America once again. I couldn't _help_ but notice the fact he used Patricia as a mouth piece. And I couldn't _help_ but notice how close said siren was getting with a certain werewolf, nearly cutting off her ties to Gabriel.

The tricky old man ran a hand through his hair haphazardly in almost a casual manor – except I noticed the anguish in his eyes. Frustration dwelled in the small creases around his lips. Through the games and illusions he played, Gabriel had lost more than he wanted.

"I did not betray you, Isabella," he sighed suddenly. "_Isabelle_ offered me immunity – once ago we were on friendly terms. I had tricked and _betrayed _her. You must understand that if Patricia and I were to slip just once in our powers – to have given as much as a millionth of our strength into a fight prior to the stunt we had pulled to _save you_ the results could have been catastrophic."

I watched him carefully, still untrusting and careful of Gabriel. He was too dangerous – too independent and didn't seem to want me on the same page with him at all – which, in some situations, could offer my death.

However.

He knew where to go from here – he knew how to take over my position as the newly instated queen and to, despite my whining and complaining, point me in a good direction during my "reign".

I looked at my advisors – or whom I was hoping would take the position. Carlisle raised an eyebrow at Gabriel but rested his hope into me – I could feel it. Esme also trusted me. The beautiful siren, Patricia, only smiled thinly, hoping for my forgiveness and also wishing that I would continue to trust her. The rest of the Cullens remained mixed – they disliked the man, however, they knew or rather _assumed_ that I would make the better decision. I turned to my human king.

Frustration marked the small creases around his lips like Gabriel – he wasn't used to feeling so…_deaf_. A slight blush and tan ran over his soft skin – humanity suited him fine. I wondered if I should keep him human or to give him the immortality still stored in the pocket besides my chest. It was almost a fattening feeling – as if I was carrying a luggage, I was not meant to.

Patricia's eyes flickered over to my human, whom I had protectively shielded. He smiled slightly at the female, before beaming a more beautiful grin at me. His smile, just as perfect, if not more so without intimidation or immortality, flickered briefly. Gabriel only scowled at our theatrics.

"Gabriel," I drawled. "Might I speak to you privately?"

He shrugged his broad shoulders, a sudden childlike innocence overcoming his features. He seemed almost human for a brief moment. He loped over away from the party, breaking into a run. I gripped Edward's hand. "Keep the peace for a few minutes. I need to…" I paused, "figure out where we stand at the moment."

He laughed dryly. "What else are kings for?"

I mockingly waved in an almost regal air, flashing a silly smile, before running off after the tricky old man. His scent was full and musky – as if a rose was preserved for thousands of years.

He rested his lanky, teenage body on a tree with the fluidity of a jungle cat. "My dear Queen, what is it that you desire?"

I growled under my breath. "You of all people are not in the position to be any way shape or form patronizing of my position – the position I _informed you_ I will _not_ be keeping."

He rolled his eyes. "Isabella, like I had promised, rule for a couple of years. I'll find someone else to replace you. My hopes for Patricia have wilted like a flower in the sun...She has less of an insanity streak in her family, however...it seems her innocence and unwillingness have oppositely grown."

"Very poetic," I bristled with the jab at my ancestry but kept my voice even. "I want you no where near that throne, Gabriel."

He shrugged. "I know you don't want me whispering in her ears. Is that why you have suddenly thrown her into a relationship with that mongrel? Surely, that would keep me from placing her as the Queen of Immortals. How nice of you to steal my mate…"

"Your mate is worm-food. Artemis has been gone for ages. Get over yourself." I paused, watching the anguish in his eyes grow. For a moment, I felt as if I _liked_ it. "You know as well as I that you had used Patricia for your own. I am not stupid. It was similar to how Isabelle used Isis or _Myrah_ for whatever she wished. Patricia was your lover, your companion, and your champion. Under my _rule_, I have decided that you no longer need to exist and neither," I lowered my eyelids to a severe glare, _"do your champions."_

"Oh, but you surely cannot kill me," he chuckled. "From here until the end of your rule you'll _need_ me. I am the eldest alive to this very _date_. Even Marcus is young in comparison…and extremely foolish. I know how to rule this underground world to perfection and now that the humans have some idea of what lurks in the night," he laughed, "this is going to be the most terrible year. You must reunite humans _and_ night folk, while bringing a unity to the rest of the underground immortals. You. Need. Me."

I looked away in anger. _Do not misunderstand need with want,_ I warned him. _When the rule starts going more smoothly, mark my words as I stand here on this very spot, you will die by my hands._

He only grinned. "I dare you, Raven sweetling. I _dare _you." Carefully, the man jumped from the tree into a handsome wolf. He howled and ran off through the jungle, a jet-black body slinking through the twilight on the hunt.

I only smiled hesitantly. And so the games begin.

I ran back to my human king, tackling him into the ground, careful of his tender human bones. He laughed fearfully, hesitantly kissing my cheek. I smirked at his sudden fear of my being.

"Am I scary," I inquired to him. merely

"Oh definitely," he replied with a grin.

"BELLA!" a voice cried. I was suddenly thrown into the air, and nearly air born. I laughed at Jake when he tilted his head away from my scent – which was a bit too sweet and alien compared to the light scent of freesia he was more used to. I detached myself from his embrace and the wolf laughed at the human lying on the ground, eyes wide.

Marcus chuckled, raven haired and immaculate against a tree. His diet, which for many years consisted of human blood, was unused to the animals he now devoured and it caused an almost tiring affect. _I have never seen you this lively._

I only raised an eyebrow. _Never had I had such a reason to live._

_Never mind Gabriel, _the immortal warned me, eyes stone.

"Was this what it was like for _you_?" he asked me. "Are you _always_ this fast?"

I helped up the human Edward gently. "Yep," I confided kissing his nose.

_The man speaks more than he really accomplishes – I have known him continuously. Must he trouble a daughter of mine, _the vampire paused mentally. _I shall surely be the cause of his suffering._

"Hey punk," Jake chuckled, ruffling Edward's bronze hair. The ex-vampire attempted to growl, but it came out as a human whimper. He looked away, his skin tinting red at the cheeks. I wrapped my arms around hum.

"I just returned from the scouting party," Jake said finally. "You _have_ to hear the news?"

"Followers of Elesmeera," he paused, "have now converted to the Isabella side. They're rebuilding Volterra. With help from _humans_. Apparently, a large percentage of Europe is easily giving in to the fact of mythical creatures. Asia is a bit lost, and Africa has no idea. South America," his face turned a bit queasy, "isn't that uhm, welcoming. America of course has to be difficult."

I lowered her eyes. "I guess I'm going to have a lot of work ahead of me."

Marcus bowed casually from the waist from the tree he was resting by. "Congratulation my Rose Queen," he whispered before striding off with the aid of a walking-stick, which to my amusement, he used for theatrics. I only shook my head at him daily, watching his pasty skin turn from translucent to full – to that of a handsome man centuries past.

Edward's face twisted sourly at the man, resting my head on his shoulder. Patricia twinkled into view, her eye's eyes flickered to meet Jake's and she only raised an eyebrow.

"So off to Volterra we must travel?" she asked gently. "Back to the…palace?"

I bobbed a nod half-heartedly. Alec pulled at the wool plum skirt, belonging to the dress Elesmeera had given me. I patted him on the head gently. Edward looked away– his distrust of the tiny immortal seemed more prominent in his humanity.

"_Study the eyes of your enemies – the color of their sins dwell,_" the boy sang out, looking pleasingly up at me. "Do not fear," he assured me, burying his face in my skirts. I ran my fingers through his hair carefully.

My family was strange, almost awkward in a sense. A vampire son, whom predicted the future in riddles and could inflict the most powerful of pain – a future husband who could once hear voices in his head – a family of powerful vampires – a friend in a werewolf and an ex-enemy….

Thinking of the factors that could easily claim Edward's life, I shuddered. His immortality must he returned – we both understood that.

"Edward," I said carefully. Patricia and Jacob had left, understanding the sudden change of mood. Alec lay underneath a tree, finally releasing my skirts. The hunt would soon be taking place – the vampires would choose one direction while the wolves would run off in another, going cross country to avoid complete wiping out of species.

"Edward," I began again. He nodded with understanding, pulling me into his chest.

"I understand. This is not a place for a human king," he laughed. "And besides," he cupped my cheek. "How will I rule eternally by your side with a limited life?"

I smiled at his optimism. "You have spent so many years craving humanity Edward – I am not going to…"

"Bella," he said firmly. "My sweet Isabella, this is what I want – forever by your side. Don't question it."

I nodded slightly, feeling Edward's immortality carefully underneath my skin. Two long talons of his shimmering topaz light flickered atop my tongue, scalding it. He hesitantly shuddered, seeing something in my eyes he had not noticed while immortal. I could feel the tenor of his mind bristling with a misunderstood fear of my power.

I rested a hand on his cheek, guiding his face towards mine. The smell of his breath - a sweet mixture of sleep, saliva, and his natural perfume – wafted into my nose until I nearly felt consumed by his presence.

Hesitantly, my tongue weighed by the scalding topaz, I rested my lips against his. "I love you," I assured him, his lips carefully following the movements, until they were pressed into the flesh.

Suddenly aggressive, his tongue slipped through my lips and a shock danced through my body – and for once, it was not pleasurable. Instead, it was nearly painful, knocking me closer against him. Edward's muscles tightened, before loosening slack around me. My hands wrapped around him tightly and kept him close, hoping that he wouldn't fall through my arms like sand. His weight, although an easy problem to overcome, I didn't guard myself from. With a careful meditation, I could make myself feel as human as I desired, and human strength did _not_ help you when vampires decided to throw their weight around you.

Edward's forehead creased and he shuddered. I could sense he was feeling a duller, less painful and quicker version of the change. His mind compared his first change, fueling a pain to grow throughout him. I gently kissed where his neck and jaw connected and felt his body loosen.

With a soft, hesitant smile, I kissed my king on the lips once more.

**("Kiss me yet once more, the last, long kiss,  
Until I draw your soul within my lips  
and drink down all your love.")**


End file.
